


Something Unexpected

by Applepye



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Gay, M/M, Sex, Slash, T-Cest, Turtlecest, tcest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-03-25 03:07:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 47,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3794377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applepye/pseuds/Applepye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After helping Winters and saving the city from the thirteen monsters, the Turtles try to continue with their lives. Leo and Mikey explore a budding relationship while Donnie’s ongoing relationship with Leatherhead is discovered, leaving Raph to feel like the odd one out. </p><p>Pairing Mikey/Leo, Leatherhead/Donnie, Raph/?<br/>Warning: T-cest, slash, mature ratings. </p><p>The Leatherhead/Donnie story kinda continues after my Figuring it Out one shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Leo and Mikey sat by the river, basking in the sun. Their fight with the thirteen demons and saving the city, again, had taken its toll on them. Raph was out with Casey, working on the truck and Don was with April, going over different artifacts from her latest collection while Splinter watched his stories on the computer. 

Mikey loved being out at the farm, in the spring. Everything was coming back to life after the winter’s cold. The soft grass and warm sun sent him in to a state of bliss.

Mikey and Leo wanted to take full advantage of having nothing to do and just relax, so they took a pack of Raph’s beer and were letting the alcohol take its effect. It wasn’t often that Leo let himself indulge in such a way so the fact that Leo chose him to relax with, made Mikey feel special. 

A gentle churr sounded from his left and Mikey looked over at Leo. “You thinking dirty thoughts,” he laughed. 

“That wasn’t me,” Leo shot back then pointed to the bushes. “It came from over there.”

They got up and made their way to the bushes to see if they could find the source of the sound. They parted the foliage and saw a small male turtle mounting a larger female. Mikey chuckled, “He’s out of his league.”

“She’s letting him,” Leo pointed out.

“Lucky bastard,” Mikey snorted out a laugh. They turned from the mating turtles and sat back down by the river. Mikey opened another beer and took a drink before looking up at Leo. “You see a lot of mating turtles in South America?”

“Yes,” Leo nodded. “I followed one female until she laid her eggs then stayed by them until they hatched. It was beautiful.” His eyes took on a distant look as he remembered. “There were five that hatched and crawled out of the nest. They were so small and new, yet they were on their own.”

“I’m glad you’re back,” Mikey smiled. “I really missed you.”

“I missed you too Mikey.” Leo nudged Mikey’s shoulder with his own. 

Mikey scooted closer to Leo so that he could place his head on Leo’s shoulder and Leo wrapped his arm around Mikey, holding him close. Turning his head so that his beak was pressed against Leo’s neck, Mikey breathed in Leo’s scent. “I missed you so much.”

It was subtle, but Leo’s breathing was heavier and Mikey could feel Leo’s pulse quicken against his beak. The gentle churrs of the mating turtles sounded in the distance. “I want you,” Mikey husked then started to attack Leo’s neck, sucking gently on the ever quickening pulse point. 

Leo churred and Mikey liked the sound of it and the need to hear it again overwhelmed his senses. “Mikey,” Leo moaned, gently pushing him away. “We should probably separate ourselves from each other for a while.”

“Why?” Mikey looked into Leo’s eyes. “If you want me and I want you, why can’t we be together?”

“We’re slightly drunk and it’s mating season,” Leo explained standing up, “that’s why. Our minds aren’t clear.”

“Right,” Mikey got up and looked in the direction of the mating turtles then back up at Leo. “But, I thought about you a lot while you were gone. Maybe the beer and the season just make it easier for me to admit to it.”

“If you really want a relationship with me…,” Leo started, but Mikey’s mouth on his cut off anything else he had to say. Leo staggered back and when is foot hit the slick mud along the riverbed he fell into the water and took Mikey with him. 

They landed with a splash and they both gasped. “Oh that’s cold!” Mikey squealed, quickly getting up. He reached his hand down to help Leo up. “That’ll sober you up quick.”

Leo accepted Mikey’s help up then flung some mud at him. “As I was saying,” Leo grumbled. “Our heads are not clear right now. If you still want me when mating season is over then we will know that your feelings are real.”

“Okay,” Mikey nodded. “I’ll wait.”

They stayed out at the farm for a total of three weeks before returning to New York. During that time, Mikey gave Leo space but he still felt a desire to be with him. He was starting to wonder if Leo felt the same about him. 

Mikey bided his time when they got back to New York and didn’t even bring up what happened at the river. The more time that passed the harder it got to even consider bringing it up again. 

Spring faded into summer and mating season was long over. Mikey would watch Leo throughout the day for any sigh that he was open to at least talking to Mikey about what had happened but Leo was too good at hiding his emotions. If he noticed Mike’s behavior, he didn’t show any signs of it. 

Mikey still wanted a relationship with Leo but it was beginning to look like Leo did not feel the same. He thought about letting it go but he had to get it out of his system. 

He stood outside of Leo’s room with his hand on the door while he built up his nerves. “Fuck it,” he grumbled and opened the door. Leo was going through his nightly routine and stopped mid kata as Mikey stepped inside. Mikey struggled to get his voice to work before he was able to talk. “It’s been a whole month since mating season ended.”

“I know,” Leo dropped his stance to look at Mikey. 

“I…,” Mikey’s throat closed on him and he had to swallow hard past the lump. “I still want you.”

A small smile spread across Leo’s beak. “Then why did you wait so long?”

“I was afraid that you didn’t feel the same,” Mikey confessed. “You hadn’t said anything.”

“I was waiting for you,” Leo walked over to Mikey and closed the door. “And you know that I don’t like public displays of affection.” 

Mikey cupped Leo’s face in both hands and pulled him down into a kiss. Leo wrapped his arms around Mikey and pulled him closer so that their plastrons rubbed together while he opened his mouth. Taking the invitation, Mikey flicked his tongue out and slid it along Leo’s. 

They stayed pressed together in a heated kiss while their hands roamed over each other’s bodies. Mikey reached down and grabbed Leo’s tail causing Leo to pull away. “We should slow down. Get to know each other first.”

Mikey looked at him. “We’ve lived together our whole lives. I think we know each other well enough.”

“I don’t want to rush things,” Leo stepped back. “Please, Mikey. I wanna us to take our time with this.”

“Alright,” Mikey nodded. “We can wait on the sex. Can we at least move to the bed and make out some more?”

Grabbing Mikey’s hand, Leo laughed and led him to the bed. They lied down to continue kissing and Leo even allowed Mikey to lie on top of him. After a few hours, Mikey broke the kiss and nuzzled his beak against Leo’s. “The rush I’m getting from this is better than anything I’ve managed with just my hand and some porn and all we’ve done is kiss.”

“Mikey!” Leo laughed and looked up lovingly into Mikey’s eyes. “I’m enjoying it too.”

“This just feels right,” Mikey sighed. “Why did it take us so long?”

“Fear of rejection for start,” Leo answered. 

“And then you were gone for almost two years,” Mikey finished for him. 

Leo glared up at him, “Then you got cold feet.”

“Because you’re so hard to read,” Mikey pouted. 

“Well it’s done with now,” Leo cooed, lifting his head to nuzzle Mikey’s nose. “And we have the rest of our lives to enjoy this.”

“The rest of our lives?” Mikey teased. “I don’t want a serious relationship. I just wanted sex. When I’m done with you I’ll move on to Donnie.” The look he got from Leo sent Mikey into a fit of laughter. Mikey pressed down for one more kiss before getting up off of Leo. “I’m looking forward to many wonderful years with you.”

“Me too,” Leo smiled. “Now get out so I can sleep. Splinter is expecting us bright and early for training.”

“Goodnight, Leo,” Mikey opened the door then turned back with a grin on his face. “I’m not gonna let you keep me on second base for long. I’m gonna round those bases quick, Leo.” With that he shut the door and rushed back to his room. His mind raced with excitement and he didn’t want to go sleep, fearing that he would wake up and discover that it was all just a dream. 

 

…….

 

Donnie stayed in his lab and spent a good thirty minutes prepping himself with his dildos, stretching himself to fit Leatherhead’s massive size. It was something that he didn’t want to take the time to do when he was with his lover. What he had planned, he didn’t want having to be prepped to get in the way. 

He let himself enjoy the process, bringing the various dildos in far enough to strike his prostate. As the churr sounded in his chest, Donny pressed his face into his pillow to muffle the sound. He managed to bring himself to full orgasm, once, during the process, without needing to touch his penis. 

Once he was done, Donnie placed a large butt plug in to keep his muscles stretched and tucked his tail up tight to hold it in place. He collected his things and made his way out of his lab, leaving a note on the door so that his family knew that he was at Leatherhead’s. 

The nature of his relationship with Leatherhead was unknown to his family. They knew that the two spent a lot of time together but they all believed it was because they were working on projects. 

Nervous anticipation ran through him as he made his way through the sewers. Two years with Leatherhead and he still got butterflies in his stomach at the thought of being with him. Their love for each other grew with no end in sight and part of Donnie wanted to finally tell his family so that he could move in with Leatherhead.

When Donnie reached the entrance, he checked Leatherhead’s lair and saw that it was empty and he smiled in excitement. He headed into the bathroom to get dressed. He removed his gear and mask then applied some edible lotion to his skin. He then put a collar around his neck and a pair of white, laced stockings on that came up to his thigh. 

Squatting down he moved the butt plug, stimulating himself enough to become aroused. After securing the butt plug back in place, he tied a ribbon around his penis. His chest heaved as his breathing became heavy with excitement. He then tied another ribbon around the tip of his tail before heading out of the bathroom to wait for Leatherhead to return. 

He made his way back to Leatherhead’s lab, where the bed was kept, and got himself situated to greet his lover once he returned. It wasn’t long before he heard Leatherheads voice and a smile spread across his face. He was about to call out to him but then it dawned on Donnie that Leatherhead had to have been talking to someone. Donnie’s heart froze when he heard Mikey respond to something Leatherhead said with one of his hearty laughs. 

Donnie suddenly felt ridiculous. He couldn’t hide in the bathroom because he would have to walk through the room Mikey was in to get to it. Panic filled him when he realized that they were heading back to the lab. 

Looking around, Donnie settled on a metal storage closet as his hiding place. He managed to get in and shut the door, praying that they didn’t hear him. His heart was beating so hard, he could actually see his chest pound. He didn’t want the sound of his breathing to tip them off to his location, so he calmed himself the best he could. 

The space between the doors was enough for him to see Michelangelo carrying some boxes for Leatherhead, whose arms were equally full. Leatherhead pointed Mikey to the closet and Donnie felt a new surge of panic. He had to fight the tears that threatened to fall while he swallowed the sob that was caught in his throat. 

Covering his face with his hands, Donnie waited for it all to come crashing down. He knew that he would never hear the end of it if Mikey saw him like this. 

The door opened and Donnie parted his fingers to look up at his brother but saw Leatherhead instead. Donnie froze, looking up at Leatherhead as a tear slid down his cheek. The door slammed shut and Donnie could hear Leatherhead making up and excuse for Mikey to have to leave. 

Donnie sat in the closet and listened to his brother’s voice gradually recede. A sense of relief washed over Donnie and he actually laughed. When the door opened again he greeted Leatherhead with a sheepish grin. “Hi.”

A deep chuckle sounded from Leatherhead as he helped Donnie out of the closet. “That was close.” Donnie stood, embarrassed, in front of Leatherhead with his eyes down cast as he crossed his arms loosely over his chest. 

Leatherhead placed a finger under Donnie’s chin and lifted his head so that he looked up into the alligator’s eyes. A sad smile spread across Donnie’s face as he blinked away his tears. Leatherhead leaned in and nuzzled Donnie’s neck, then after noticing the scent of the edible lotion, licked along Donnie’s shoulder. Donnie chuckled as Leatherhead’s tongue lapped up the lotion along his neck and collarbone. 

Leatherhead’s hands started on Donnie’s thighs then moved around to play with his tail. His fingers encountered the butt plug and he started to play with it while Donnie kissed along his chest. 

Leatherhead sat with his back against the closet and Donnie got on his knees next to him. Licking along Leatherhead’s cloaca, Donny lifted his butt so Leatherhead had easy access to the butt plug. He churred as the plug was moved rhythmically, striking his prostate and Leatherhead rumbled out his own pleasure. 

Working Leatherhead up to a full erection, Donnie took as much of the swollen member as he could into his mouth. Despite the fact that he was prepped and properly lubed, Donnie made sure to leave a great deal of moisture on Leatherhead’s cock. 

“I forgot my skateboard,” Mikey’s voiced his presence as he rounded the corner to the lab and froze. “What the…?” From where he stood he got a good view of Donnie’s plugged ass. There was no hiding what they were doing. Leatherhead dropped his hand as Donnie sat, keeping his back to his brother. Tears flowed from his eyes and he could hear Mikey’s labored breathing behind him. 

Without a word, Donnie heard Mikey turn and leave. Donnie’s body shook as he cried, hiding his face in his hands. Leatherhead did what he could to soothe him, but the olive turtle broke down into uncontrollable sobs and gasps. 

The mood killed, Donnie cried himself to sleep in Leatherhead’s arms and woke up several hours later. After cleaning himself off in the bathroom, Donnie kissed Leatherhead goodbye and headed home. 

He pushed the door open and tried to slip unnoticed into his lab, but his brothers were in the common room watching television and looked back at him as he entered. Donnie’s eyes locked with Mikey’s for a split second before he rushed off to his lab. 

Dropping his bag to the ground, Donnie flung himself down on his cot and cried tears that he didn’t know he still had left. His brothers were at his lab door, wondering what had him upset but Mikey pushed Leo and Raph out of the lab making some quip about Donnie getting over emotional when his experiments fail and shut the door in their faces. 

Mikey made his way over to Donnie and sat down on the cot, leaning over to hug his brother. He kissed Donnie on the back of the head and whispered, “I’m with Leo. We’ve been seeing each other for about a month now. He still hasn’t let me have sex with him yet. He’s such a prude, that and he wants to tell Splinter about it before we go any further.”

Donnie turned to look up at Mikey who smiled down at him. Mikey Leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. “Thank you,” Donnie managed to smile, “for not making fun of me.”

“I’m sorry I ruined your special moment with L.H.” A grin split Mikey’s face as he thought. “Can you get me a pair of stockings like that? And whatever it was that Leatherhead was messing with in your butt, I want one of those too.”

Donnie blushed. “Can you please just forget what you saw?”

“Sure,” Mikey laughed lightly. “Just get me those things. I want them for Leo.”

“So you wanna dress up for Leo?” Donnie ventured. “Hoping that maybe he will finally have sex with you?”

Mikey shook his head, “No. I want Leo to wear those things for me. Stockings are hot.” His tongue flicked out and quickly licked Donnie’s neck. “And whatever it is that you have on, I want that too; it tastes good.”

“B…but…,” Donnie stammered, wiping the spot Mikey licked. 

Mikey chuckled. “Yeah, Leo reacted the same way.” Mikey turned to leave the lab. “Don’t worry about me saying anything, Donnie. My lips are sealed.”

“Thank you,” Donnie managed to reply before Mikey slipped through the door.

 

……

 

Raph found the note and flash drive on the floor right outside his door and took it to his room to see what was on it. The note was vague, but expressed a desire of being together and was signed by Donnie. Raph plugged the flash drive into his computer and opened a file. The first image he clicked on took Raph’s breath away. It was a picture of Donatello in a pair of stockings, sitting on a glowing dildo, the angle of the camera giving a good view of the dildo entering Donnie’s ass. 

Raph knew that he should have stopped, but he continued to look. The flash drive was filled with pictures and videos of Donnie in sexual positions, pleasuring himself in one way or another. As he made his way through them, Raph pleasured himself to them. It was the best gift Donnie could give him. He had wanted Donnie for well over a year, but he never felt worthy of his genius brother. 

After he finished, Raph cleaned himself off and collected the note and flash drive then looked for Donnie. He found Don in his lab, frantically tearing through the room looking for something. 

“Donnie?” Raph stepped through the door. 

“I’m busy, Raph, what do you want?” Don didn’t even look up from his search. 

“I… ah… found your note.” Raph held it out for Don to see.

Donnie froze and slowly turned around. “What?”

Raph closed the gap between them and pressed in for a heated kiss. Donnie tensed as Raph fumbled through his very first kiss. Breaking the kiss, Raph looked into Donnie’s eyes. “I feel the same. I’ve wanted you for a while now. I was just afraid to say anything. I’ve always thought that you were too good for me.”

“Did you look at what was on the flash drive?” Donnie had tears in his eyes. 

Raph smiled, mistaking Donnie’s reactions for nervous joy. “I did. They were hot and did the job; I’ve never been so turned on. I didn’t know you had that in you or that you could be so kinky and sexual. All you had to do was ask, though, I would have said yes. I would like to see you in those stockings again.” Raph couldn’t stop the tears of joy that fell from his eyes. 

“Oh God,” Donnie stifled a sob. “That wasn’t meant for you.”

“What?” Raph felt his heart sink. “Who was it for then? You know Leo and Mikey are together.”

Don nodded. “I know that. Mikey told me about it a few months ago.”

“Then who?” Raph prompted. “Who’s left?”

“It was a gift for Leatherhead,” Donnie confessed. “We’ve been together for two years and when we spend a lot of time out at the farm he gets lonely so I made that for him.” Raph could tell that Donnie was nervous; he tended to ramble when he was nervous. 

Raph felt sick, “Leatherhead?” He backed away from Donnie. “You’re with Leatherhead.” When Donnie nodded, Raph thrust the note and flash drive into his hands. “Yeah, okay. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”

“Raph,” Donnie reached out to him, but Raph pulled away. 

“I… I need some air,” Raph stammered before turning and running from the lab. 

“Hey Raph,” Mikey beamed as he exited Leo’s room. 

“Raph,” Donnie ran out of the lab. “Please, let’s talk about this.”

“Talk?” Raph shouted, turning on Donnie. “You wanna talk? I just made an ass of myself and poured my heart out to you only to find out that you’re fucking Leatherhead.” Ignoring Donnie’s embracement, Raph turned to gesture to Leo and Mikey. “And there fucking each other. I’m the odd one out.” He pulled his shell cell out and threw it on the floor. “I’m outa here.”

He bolted from the lair before the others could recover from their shock. 

Midwinter in New York was not a good time for a turtle to be out on his own. Though the thick sewer walls provided insolation, the cold quickly caught up with Raph and he felt himself stagger. He thought about going to Casey and April’s apartment but knew that would be the first place his family would look for him. In fact, they’ve probably already called them. 

So he decided to go to the one place they didn’t know about, Mrs. Morrison’s. 

He had to force his limbs to pull him up the latter and it got colder the closer he got to the surface. Exhaustion was starting to win as he pushed on the manhole cover, but he still managed to get it open. 

He slipped to the surface and didn’t even to bother replacing the cover. The cold quickly became too much and he collapsed to the street. “Fuck,” he grunted as he struggled to get back to his feet. When the temperature drops into the negatives, even a human would be overwhelmed by it. Raph was in such a hurry to leave that he didn’t grab is winter clothes and now he chastised himself for it. 

He struggled to get to his feet and pushed himself to run to Mrs. Morrison’s door. Pounding on the door, Raph felt himself quickly losing consciousness. When the door opened, Raph fell inside. He could hear Mrs. Morrison’s voice, but it was muffled. Raph closed his eyes and slipped into darkness. 

When he woke up, he was in a warm bath with several people around him. He started to panic and moved to get out of the bath. The people around him didn’t move to try and stop him, instead they stepped back to get out of the way. 

Raph struggled to get his body to move and fell to the ground when he slipped over the side of the bath. “What did you do to me?” he demanded.

“Saved your life,” came a familiar voice. Raph looked up to see Bishop standing over him. “Your body was shutting down from the cold. You should be happy that I had the old woman’s home watched.”

“Why were you watching her house?” Raph managed to get up on all fours. 

“Waiting for you, of course,” Bishop answered. “When I learned of your connection to her, I placed agents to watch for you to visit.”

“Why?” Raph grunted. “I thought your hate for us was over.”

“It is.” Bishop just stood back and watched while Raph regained control over his body. “I was waiting for you so that I could offer you a job.”

Raph got his legs under him and stood, unsteady on his feet. “You wanna offer me a job?”

Bishop nodded. “I want you to resume your roll as Nightwatcher.”

“What?” Raph looked at Bishop in disbelief. “Why?”

“You did a lot of good for this city as the Nightwatcher,” Bishop explained. “You became a symbol. Something the people could believe in. They want you back.” Bishop handed Raph a newspaper with the headline ‘Where is the Nightwatcher?’, “Don’t tell me that you haven’t heard.”

Raph looked down at the paper. “I heard.” He shook his head. “I did this while Leo was away. When he got back and after we saved the city again, I promised Splinter that I was done with Nightwatcher.”

“You will be paid,” Bishop offered. “And you will be given a team to command.” Raph stood holding the paper, unable to respond. He enjoyed the freedom that being the Nightwatcher gave him and he did just leave home so he needed somewhere to live. 

Bishop removed his sunglasses and looked down at Raph. “Can I ask you something?” Raph nodded and Bishop continued. “What happened at home that made you leave without taking the time to dress for the cold weather?” 

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Raph sighed. “I will tell you that I don’t plan on going home again anytime soon.” He looked up, his face an unreadable mask. “I accept. The only problem is that my gear is back at the lair.”

“Not a problem,” Bishop waved it off. “We have several, updated suits for you to wear and a new bike.”

Raph nodded, “Alright.”

“Do you feel well enough for a tour?” Bishop asked, stepping to the side to let Raph pass. “This entire compound is open to you. I have no secrets.”

“Sure you don’t.” Raph brought the paper up and slapped it on Bishop’s chest, leaving it there until Bishop brought his hands up to grab it. “Why don’t you start by showing me to my room,” Raph smirked as he walked past. “Then you can show me the weight room. I’m in need of a good work out.”


	2. Chapter 2

Warning: There is sadness with youths in this one along with blood, non-canon character death, and sensitive materials. 

I was inspired by a link about a lost episode that 4Kids cut for being too dark and I ran with it. I am also using one of my own head canons with the turtles as youths. 

An old enemy decides to come out of hiding. Leo leads his brothers in search for Raph while Splinter reflects on the past. Raph offers Donnie a job. 

...

She found him bloodied and crying in the trash. Throwing down the doll she was cradling in her arms she picked him up. “Knew you didn’t die,” she rasped out. “You’re right where I left you.”

The baby was no more than a few months old; his legs were limp and useless. 

She took him back to her home in the junk yard and showed him off to everyone. “I found my baby,” she held him up, blood dripping down her arms. “He was in the dumpster where I left him.”

Some of the others looked at her but most ignored her ramblings like they always did. She has found her son in the dumpster several times now, the one she lost long gone. It was when the tiny cries, came from the bloody bundle she held up, did they take notice. 

A man rushed over, “Can I see him.”

Eagerly, she handed over the bundle to the man, “Isn’t he beautiful?”

The man pulled the wrappings away enough to see the baby inside. “Oh God.” His hand covered his mouth as he took in the gruesome sight. 

No one expected the baby to live but as the days passed some of them started to lovingly call him Garbage Pail Kid. 

The years passed and he grew, dragging his useless legs behind him as he made his way through the colony in the junk yard. Eventually he managed to build himself a wheelchair then from there a motorized scooter. 

He taught himself how to take junk and to make it into useful items. And as he got older the others in the junk yard started to call him Garbageman. 

Word of his expertise spread and soon the Purple Dragons came to him for the odd job. One day he got word that a man of great power wanted to see him and he was temporarily hired by the Foot for his technical knowhow. While he was there he saw him, the large man with the dragon tattoo. 

Though they never formally met, Garbageman saw him around the Foot headquarters and the large man never even looked in his direction. 

One day Garbageman saw Hun training with Oroku Saki, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. Garbageman saw the scar that ran along Hun’s spine and ran his hand across the one down his own back. The anger boiled in his gut as he looked the large man over. 

He knew what parts of the story he could get out of the homeless people of New York who witnessed him being thrown in the garbage. He knew that he was thrown out by a back ally doctor after a botched surgery.

He had found that doctor and beat more of the story out of him and learned that he was a twin who was once conjoined to his brother. The doctor cut him away but the scalpel had gone too deep on him and severed his spine. 

His father didn’t want a disabled kid and told the doctor to get rid of him. That was all he was able to get out of the man before he killed him in a fit of rage. 

The more he looked at Hun the more he knew that he was the one who was kept. 

That could have been him, if the scalpel had gone too far in the other direction. He could have been strong and healthy but instead he was fat and disabled. 

Garbageman was soon replaced by a man named Baxter Stockman and sent away. Enraged, he built his own empire with the plan to enact his revenge, only to have it destroyed by a group of mutant turtles. 

After the destruction of his Junklantis he went into hiding, letting everyone believe him to be dead. 

He soon learned of the downfall of the Foot and the Purple Dragons by the hands of the same mutants and decided that he wanted to reunite with his long lost brother. They had a common enemy and Garbageman wanted to pay them back for destroying his empire. 

 

....

Splinter walked into Raph’s room and sat on his bed. He used to frequent Leo’s room during the year and a half he was gone. It was his way of staying connected.

His eyes drifted around to look at the things that made up his son’s personality and as he leaned back a little on the bed his hand drifted back and slid under the pillow. It wasn’t something he had intended to do but when he did, his hand came into contact with something. 

He lifted the pillow and what he saw there stole his breath away. It took him back to the time when he first found the Turtles. 

He was still just a rat himself and when he witnessed the boy drop the turtles into the sewers, he rushed over to see if they were okay. He pushed each of them out one at a time, coating himself in the ooze in the process. 

The next morning he noticed a change in them, some more than others, and that they were obviously different ages. He also noticed the change within himself and he found himself understanding the words he remembered hearing as a simple rat. 

The young turtles followed him everywhere he went and even though it annoyed him at first, eventually he developed affection for them. It was a foreign feeling for him but he did not shy from it. On the contrary, he basked in it and he loved them with all of his heart. 

He noticed that two of them were inseparable and by the looks of them were blood brothers. They were the least mutated out of the group and the first ones Splinter had removed from the ooze. They slept, nuzzled together each night and stayed near each other all day. When they were separated, they would call out to each other with chirps and trills until they were reunited. 

The months passed and they started to make a life for themselves down in the sewers. Splinter had found an abandoned subway station and made it into their home. He even remembered ninjutsu at the level of a master so he decided to train them for several reasons. 

Life was good and they were all happy.

But then winter hit the city and the young turtles succumbed to the cold. 

Splinter panicked the first morning when they did not wake up. He feared he had lost his new family and fretted over them daily. 

After several months, the weather started to warm and one by one the young turtles started to wake. Soon there were only two left sleeping, the ones who were inseparable. They slept for a week longer than the others and Splinter feared that they might never wake. 

Then, one morning, one of them opened his eyes. He was weak but awake and Splinter smiled down at him. 

Splinter looked over at the other one and noticed that he was no longer breathing. 

He first tended to the one that woke up, wrapping him in a tattered blanket and coaxing him to eat. Once Splinter was satisfied that the young one was safe, he went back to the one he had lost. 

He wrapped him in a blanket and searched out a place to bury him. Splinter feared discovery so he buried the body close, tucking it in a hole in the wall and covering it with rocks. 

Over the next few weeks the weak one searched for the lost one, walking through the lair and chirping. He then slipped into depression when he didn’t find his brother. He didn’t eat and Splinter feared that he would die of grief. 

In time, the young one grew in strength and rejoined the others in training but there was still an element of loss within him and his body remained weak. 

One night, while Splinter visited the grave of his lost son, he caught the weak one watching him. All the little one could do was chirp mournfully up at him as Splinter led him away. A few days after that, Splinter had found that the young turtle had moved the rocks and curled up next to his brother. 

To help him understand, Splinter removed the wrappings and showed the young turtle his brother. He chirped at his brother, placing his hand on him, trying to wake him. Tears streaked down his cheeks when there was no response. 

He looked up at Splinter and trilled. 

“Say goodbye,” Splinter told him.

The young turtle turned back to his brother and nuzzled him one last time then leaned back in Splinter’s lap. 

Splinter then wrapped the blanked back around the body and placed it back in the hole. Together they placed the rocks over the hole, sealing the body in. 

After that, Splinter decided to give them names from a book he found on a savage run. The one who was the oldest but the second one out of the ooze was named Leonardo. The second oldest and the last one out of the ooze was named Donatello. The weak one who lost his brother and the first one out of the ooze was named Raphael. And the youngest was named Michelangelo. 

Tears streaked down Splinter’s cheeks as he sat looking at the carapace in his hand and wondered when it was that Raph went in and dug it out. He turned it over and ran his finger down the spine. Splinter brought the shell of the child who was never named but was never forgotten up to his cheek before placing it back under the pillow. 

It was something that Raphael loved and would come back for. Splinter wanted to make sure it was right where Raph had left it.

....

The days that followed Raph’s disappearance, were rough on everyone in the lair. The turtles went out nightly to see if they could find him and watched the news to see if there were any reports of a giant turtle man being found. 

Leo and his brothers were getting ready for another patrol when Splinter’s voice had them running to see what was on the television. Leo expected to see that Raph’s body was found somewhere by some worker or another. Out of all of them, Raph was the one most susceptible to the cold and if he was cold enough, long enough, he would hibernate. It hadn’t happened in years but that was because they took precautions. 

Instead of seeing a report about a mysterious mutated turtle, they saw a report on the return of the Nightwatcher. 

“How?” Mikey breathed, his disbelief spilling into his words. “All his stuff is here.”

“At least we know he’s okay.” Leave it to Donnie to try to find the positive in a bad situation. 

“We don’t know that it is him yet,” Splinter pointed out. He turned to look at his sons. “You must find him and make sure that this new Nightwatcher isn’t some copycat.”

“Hai, Sensei,” Leo bowed. He looked over at his brothers, “Let’s go”

They bundled up against the cold and headed to the surface to seek out the Nightwatcher. Donnie monitored the police radio, knowing that Raph would be doing the same. 

They squatted down near a ventilation shaft, soaking in the warmth as Donnie listened. Mikey nuzzled up close to Leo. “I hope it’s Raph.”

“Me too,” Leo leaned over to nuzzle Mikey in return. 

“I hope he accepts our offer,” Mikey sighed. “I don’t want Raphie to be alone.”

“I don’t know if he will,” Leo reached his hands out to warm them over the vent. “He’s proud.”

“I’ve got something,” Donnie stood. “Ninth Street.”

“Let’s go,” Leo ordered, getting up and running in the direction of Ninth Street. 

As they approached, the commotion on the street below told Leo that Nightwatcher was already there. He looked over the edge of the building to see Nightwatcher land a solid punch to the midsection of one of the thugs. Judging by the way Nightwatcher fought, Leo could tell that it was Raph in the new suit. 

Raph bound the hands of the would be thieves behind their backs and placed them all together, and then waited. Leo expected Raph to run off when the sounds of sirens approached, but he just stood there. 

When the cops got there, Raph acknowledged them with a slight nod of the head before he leapt up to the roof tops. 

Leo signaled to his brothers to follow. 

Out pacing Raph, Leo managed to get ahead and drop down in front of him. 

Raph slid to a halt. “Fuck! This happened sooner than I thought it would.”

“Raph,” Leo stepped towards his brother. “What are you doing?”

“You can’t lecture me, Leo,” Raph snapped back. “I left home.”

“We understand that you are upset and embarrassed.” Leo didn’t want to fight. His goal was to bring Raph home, not push him further away. “We were worried about you and wanted to make sure you were okay. Please come home.”

“No,” Raph took a step back. “I ain’t goin home.”

“Where’d you get the new suit?” Mikey asked, causing Raph to turn to face him and Don. “It’s really cool. I like the red lights that streak through it.”

Raph sighed. “That don’t matter. I’m fine, okay.”

“Raph, please,” Donnie stepped forward. “I’m so sorry that I dropped that flash drive by your door. I’ve just been so over worked and absent minded lately. Leatherhead and I talked about it and, if you want, you can join us. The tree of us can be together.”

Mikey looked at Don. “Leo and I were gonna offer the same thing. I mean we haven’t gotten to the point of thigh highs and butt plugs, but we can explore the wonders of sex together.”

“Mikey,” Leo groaned while Donnie blushed.

“Would you guys just shut up,” Raph blurted. 

“Raph,” Leo placed his hand on Raph’s shoulder. “The point is, you don’t have to be alone. Everything else about our lives is different. What’s one more unconventional element? Who says we have to be monogamous?”

Raph shrugged Leo off, “Please stop talking.”

“Please don’t hide from us.” Donnie walked up to Raph and lifted the helmet off to reveal Raph’s naked face. “You’re not even wearing your mask?”

“I’m done with the family,” Raph looked away. 

“Please,” Donnie’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry you feel left out but don’t abandon us. Splinter’s worried and wants you to see you.”

“Let him know I’m fine,” Raph snatched his helmet back and placed it on his head then turned to leave.

“Come home, Raph,” Leo pleaded. “We’ll figure this out. We’re open to….”

“Shut up!” Raph cut Leo off. “Fuck!”

“I know this is difficult for you to talk about…,” Donnie started but stopped when Raph lifted his hand. 

“You wanted to know where I got this new suit.” Raph turned to look at them, “Bishop.” He tapped his helmet. “I’m in constant communication with him and his men. You fuckers just let them all know you’re relationship status.”

All humor fell from Mikey’s face and he glared at Raph. “You couldn’t have told us that sooner,” he stated flatly. “I asked you where you got the suit at the start of all this and you said that it didn’t matter.” Mikey was angry, a rare thing for him. “We would have stayed quiet if you had told us.”

“I told you to shut up,” Raph snapped back.

“You always tell us to shut up,” Mikey countered. 

“Bishop?” Leo stepped forward. “Why Bishop?”

“He wanted me to resume my role as Nightwatcher,” Raph explained. “And I took him up on his offer. I work with the police and prevent them from being overwhelmed by all the Triceraton weapons that the Dragons use. They suddenly managed to figure out how most of it works and they are placing the city in danger. I have my own team of men and we work together to find and confiscate what we can.”

Leo crossed his arms over his plastron. “That was the big one for you wasn’t it? Your own team.”

“Shut up, Leo,” Raph wasn’t in the mood to go down that path. “I would have agreed to do it completely solo. I wanna help the city. The team is just an added bonus.” He sighed and looked down, “Look. I’ll come visit, okay. There are a few things I wanna get from my room anyway.””

Donnie held out Raph’s shell cell. “If you ever need us.”

Raph looked at the cell in Don’s hand then heaved out a sigh and took it. “I don’t think I will ever need you, but I will call before I visit. Wanna make sure you guys aren’t out on dates or nothing.”

“Just make sure you visit.” Leo watched as Raph turned to leave. He ran, picking up enough speed to make the leap to the next roof top and disappeared into the darkness. Leo was not looking forward to telling Splinter the news. 

…..

Raph visited a few days later and Leo could see the way it was affecting their father. Leo could tell that Splinter was holding something back. He looked like there was something he wanted to say to Raph but chose to stay quiet about it. 

Raph went to his room and gathered a few things in a bag and the whole time Raph was up there, Splinter stared at the closed door. 

Raph stayed for a few hours and before he left, he handed Donnie a flash drive. “Bishop asked me to give this to you.”

“What is it?” Don turned the drive in his hand. 

“He said that it will give you limited access to his network,” Raph explained. “This is his way of offering you and Leatherhead a job. You will be paid and he will have me bring by things for you to look at every so often. So it will give me an excuse to visit more often.”

“I’ll talk to Leatherhead tonight.” Don put the flash drive into his belt. He looked up into Raph’s eyes. “Our offer still stands.”

“Please don’t,” Raph took a step back. “I don’t wanna share you.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” tears filled Don’s eyes. “I feel terrible.”

“I understand why you chose him,” Raph backed up more. “I ain’t as smart as the two of you and I’m not… as… uh… evolved, I guess.” 

“Your level of mutation compared to mine had nothing to do with it,” Donnie insisted. “Leatherhead expressed his love for me after I had my second mutation. We’ve been together ever since.” 

Raph turned away, “You’re too good for me anyway.”

The difference between the four Turtles’ mutations was gradual. Raph’s cloaca moved up on his tail but stayed whole and his penis was closer to a natural turtle’s penis. His features where sharper, his skin rougher and it was harder for him to form his words so he was the last to start talking; instead choosing to grunt and chirp for what he wanted. 

Mikey’s cloaca also moved up his tail, but it split so that he had a separate opening for his turtle like penis and anus. Then there was Leo who, like Mikey, had his cloaca moved and split but his was higher up, closer to his lower plastron. His penis was more human like but the tip still opened a little. Donnie’s penis was most human looking, but it still came out of an opening, located just below the plastron. He was also the smartest out of the group and the least to be subjected to his animalistic behaviors and instincts. As a child Raph would hiss and snap, letting his temper rule his actions, where Donnie barely cried and stayed in complete control of his emotions.

In Raph’s opinion, Donnie was perfect.

“I have to go,” Raph headed for the door. “If you want the job, just plug that in to your computer.”

“Please,” Donnie grabbed Raph’s hand. “I’m sorry. Don’t go yet.”

“I got work to do,” Raph pulled his hand away. “I’ll come visit in a few days.” He went over to Splinter and gave him a warm hug. “I love you,” he whispered before rushing out of the lair.

“I love you too.” Splinter answered while he watched Raph bolt through the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Garbageman sat at his work station, going over the Triceraton technology and tried to figure out how it worked. He had managed to repair or modify a great deal of the advanced technology in only three months and the Purple Dragons now had a stockpile of weapons. 

Hun was at first reluctant about hiring Garbageman but after he was able to get the first blaster working in less than an hour, Hun had changed his mind. Garbageman withheld his suspicions of being Hun’s twin; that was something he decided to keep to himself until it was beneficial to him. For the time being he would continue to be a valuable member of Hun’s empire. 

He was in the process of figuring out what a moderate sized cube device was used for when Hun burst in to the room. “Fuck!” Hun shouted as he slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a hole. 

“Something the matter,” Garbageman asked flatly as he turned the device in his hand. 

“Nightwatcher has teamed up with that bastard Bishop,” Hun grumbled, pacing the room. There was no doubt in Garbageman’s mind that Hun wanted to punch more holes in the wall. 

“So Bishop has a new little soldier,” Garbageman shrugged. “What of it? We have a stockpile of weapons. Just arm your men with the armor piercing blasters. That suit can’t be strong enough to withstand alien technology.”

“We?” Hun chuckled. “Don’t get over your head. You’re nothing but a servant to my empire. And as for that stockpile you speak of, Nightwatcher found it and it is all now in Bishop’s possession.”

“What?” Garbageman roared, turning to Hun. “It took me months to get all that junk working again and you lost it? On top of that, they now know what we have and can build defenses against it.”

“Don’t you dare speak to me like that,” Hun glared at Garbageman. “I’ll throw you back into the trash where you belong.”

“You would have nothing but a pile of ill working garbage of it wasn’t for me,” Garbageman snapped back. “You have nothing but a bunch of meatheads under your employ. They wouldn’t be able to figure out how this stuff worked with illustrated instructions in front of them. I am building your empire; you would be nothing but another street gang without me.”

Hun fumed, glaring at Garbageman. Garbageman had to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. He didn’t want to argue, it would get him nowhere. “We shouldn’t be fighting each other. The one we need to focus on is this Nightwatcher.”

“Agreed,” Hun growled. “He needs to be eliminated.”

“With prejudice,” Garbageman smiled. “And if we’re lucky, we’ll be able to take Bishop down in the process.”

 

……

Mikey crept into the room that he shared with Leo. Their personal touches filled the room with chaos side by side with organization. Leo had his own spot where he meditated while Mikey had covered the walls with posters. Leo kept the floor neat and tidy but the shelves, with Mikey’s things, were cluttered and disorganized.

Mikey used all of his stealth training to keep from disturbing Leo as he meditated. He was about halfway across the room when Leo’s eyes popped open. “Aw, man,” Mikey pouted, freezing mid step. 

Leo shook his head, “You can’t sneak up on me Mikey.”

“I was close,” Mikey sat on the floor. 

“No. You weren’t,” Leo closed his eyes again. “I heard you outside the door.”

“I’ll get you one day,” Mikey stood up again. 

Leo laughed, “The day you are able to surprise me, I will let you top.”

It had taken months of dating before their relationship took on a more sexual nature and despite Mikey’s many aggressive attempts to top, Leo always took control and ended up dominating. Mikey enjoyed his time with Leo but he wanted more. Any time Mikey asked Leo about it, Leo would simply answer, ‘Maybe’ or ‘One day’.

Mikey was getting frustrated. He knew Leo loved him and when they were together Leo was tender and made sure Mikey enjoyed it. But Mikey still felt like there was something lacking. 

Mikey got down in front of Leo and placed his face only inches away from his. “Challenge accepted.”

Leo opened his eyes and gave Mikey a quick kiss before he resumed his meditation. 

Over the following few months Mikey tried to get the drop on Leo. He tried hiding in a nook near the ceiling, but Leo called out, “No Mikey.” He then tried sneaking up on Leo while he was running through blind weapons training but ended up with the point of Leo’s katana inches from his face. “Nice try, Mikey.” Each attempt was met with failure and after a while, Mikey gave up. 

One night, Mikey sat on the floor in their bedroom, just behind the open door, pouting. It wasn’t going to happen; Leo was just too good of a ninja for Mikey to sneak up on him. 

Leo walked into the room and headed over to his spot for meditating. Mikey barely even moved as Leo passed, only following him with his eyes. “Hey, Leo,” Mikey sighed, causing Leo to jump. It was slight but Mikey noticed. A grin spread across Mikey’s face as he stood up, “You didn’t know I was in here.”

Leo shook his head, “That doesn’t count.”

“Like hell it doesn’t,” Mikey walked over to Leo. “I finally caught you when your guard was down.”

“It was a fluke,” Leo argued. “You were supposed to improve your skills.”

Mikey shook his head, “You didn’t say that. You said I just had to surprise you.”

“I did didn’t I,” Leo sighed. He didn’t get the chance to say anything more when Mikey pressed in for a heated kiss. After kicking the door closed, Mikey guided Leo to the bed. The ferocity of Mikey desire had Leo’s heart pounding in his chest. 

Without breaking the kiss, Mikey pushed Leo back onto the bed and got on top of him. Then moving slightly off to the side, Mikey reached down to start playing with Leo’s tail. His fingers ran little circles from tip to base then worked up to Leo’s puckered entrance. 

Leo panicked, “Mikey!” He tensed, moving his tail up and tucking it. 

“Really?” Mikey pulled back. 

“I don’t…,” Leo sighed. 

“I’m not gonna force you to do something you don’t wanna do,” Mikey got up off the bed. “I’m gonna go sleep in my old room.”

Leo sat up, “Why is this such a big deal for you?”

“I’m not the one with the problem, Leo,” Mikey snapped back. “Why aren’t you willing to let me top? You know it’s something I’ve wanted since we got together.”

“I’m the clan leader and the eldest,” Leo answered. “It makes since for you to always bottom. The leader doesn’t submit to anyone.”

Mikey glared at Leo in stunned silence then turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. 

 

…….

 

Donnie sat at his computer going over and updating the security around the lair. He also had a pile of work from Bishop. Donnie was tasked with discovering how all the Triceraton technology that had Raph confiscated worked. 

His computer beeped, alerting him to the latest news on the Nightwatcher. He had set his computer up to scan the web for any and every mention of him the night they confirmed that Raph was the Nightwatcher again. That was three months ago. 

Nightwatcher was popular among the citizens of New York and had even reached global news. The latest was a post on someone’s social media saying how “awesome” the Nightwatcher was and how they wish he was in their city. Don wondered if Raph ever read any of the things that were posted about him. He was fairly certain that Bishop had a similar program in place and a team of men watching it at all times. That man was obsessed with control. 

There was a knock at the door and Donnie closed his lap top. “Come in.”

Leo opened the door then closed it behind him. “Mikey and I had a fight.”

“Oh?” Donnie got up from his desk and gestured for Leo to sit in a nearby chair then sat down in a chair next to him. 

“I don’t understand what his problem is,” Leo complained.

“You’re going to have to be more specific, Leo, if you want me to help you,” Donnie smiled. “What happened?”

“Mikey insists on topping,” Leo fumed. 

Donnie lifted an eye ridge, “Do you mean you haven’t topped yet? That’s not fair.”

The look Leo gave Donnie told the genius turtle that he missed the mark entirely. “No,” Leo stood. “I top him and he’s insisting that I let him top me.”

“Oh,” Donnie cleared his throat. “The impression I got from him, back when he told me that you guys were going out was that he was the more dominant one.”

“Well that’s wrong,” Leo snapped. “That would be like if Leatherhead let you top him.”

Donnie’s face dropped in a scowl. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Leatherhead’s the alpha, like me,” Leo explained. “Alphas don’t bottom. Mikey wants me to put stockings on; that’s so degrading.”

“Oh,” Donnie stood, crossing his arms over his plastron; the scowl still on his face. “I understand now. He made it perfectly clear that he wanted to… top… before you entered this relationship so none of this should be surprising to you. He is a male too, you know, and wants to be treated as such. So that means, every once and a while, he tops and you bottom.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Leo threw his arms up in frustration. “You’re not an alpha.”

“No, I wouldn’t understand,” Donnie snapped back. He headed for the door, turning to look at Leo as he reached out for the handle. “And just so you know, I do top Leatherhead every once and a while. We are in an equal partnership. He loves me and respects me, and maybe you can go learn something from him.”

Donnie left the room, leaving Leo alone before he had a chance to react. 

Donnie made his way to Mikey’s room and knocked lightly on the door. “Mikey?”

“Yeah,” Mikey answered. 

Opening the door, Donnie poked his head in to find Mikey curled up on his bed clutching the old Franklin doll he modified to look like Leo. Donnie found it to be a little creepy. 

“I spoke with Leo,” Donnie said without entering. 

“You gonna tell me that I’m over reacting?” Mikey turned so that his back was to Donnie. 

Donnie snorted, “No. Leo’s being a jerk.”

“You can come in,” Mikey waved Donnie forward. 

With a slight chuckle, Donnie entered the room and closed the door behind him. He crawled up on the bed and lied down next to Mikey. “Leo has an alpha male mentality and thinks that submitting would lesson his masculinity.”

“Are you making excuses?” Mikey pulled away. 

“Not really,” Donnie explained. “If we understand his reasoning then we will be better prepared to argue against it.”

Mikey turned to face Donnie. “So what, if he submits to me he thinks it will make him less of a male? Does that mean that he sees me as less than a male?”

“I don’t know,” Donnie sighed. “You are a beta, at best, in his eyes.”

“At worst?” Mikey prompted. 

Donnie shrugged, “An omega.”

“I don’t want to be treated like a girl,” Mikey sat up. “I wanna know what it feels like to be inside of him. I went after him expecting to be equal in this. I wanted to have fun with him. I wanted to dress up for him and have him dress up for me, like you did with Leatherhead.”

Donnie blushed. “I wish you wouldn’t talk about what you saw that day.”

“I can’t get it out of my head,” Mikey looked down at Donnie. “I have all these ideas of what I want to do with Leo.”

“I don’t think Leo will be willing to put on stockings.” Donnie sat up to look Mikey in the eyes. “He doesn’t even want to submit because he thinks it’s… beneath him.”

“It’s not fair,” Mikey pouted, pulling the doll closer. “I wouldn’t think less of him if he let me top or if he put on stockings. He liked it fine when I put the stockings on.” His bottom lip started to quiver. “It actually really excited him. He had a full erection before he made it to the bed.”

“Leo’s more reserved than you, Mikey,” Donnie soothed, placing a hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “You knew this going into the relationship.”

“You are making excuses for him,” Mikey got off the bed and opened the door. “You can leave now.”

“You’re both being pigheaded,” Donnie moaned, getting up of the bed. “I am not going to be a go between for the two of you. Sit down and work it out or call it off; It’s up to you. You guys knew each other going in to this relationship, why the hell did you guys expect the other to change? I’ve got work to do, I can’t get caught up in this mess.” He stormed out of the room, mumbling his way down the hall and back to his lab.


	4. Chapter 4

Leo stormed through the sewers. He didn’t usually let his anger get the better of him but he was fuming over his conversation with Donnie. He went to his brother expecting to get support and understanding but ended up being made to feel guilty.

What was so wrong with being the alpha? There is always an alpha within a group and that alpha never submitted to anyone. 

He made his way to Leatherhead’s lair and knocked on the door. 

He did not have to wait long before Leatherhead answered. “Leonardo?” Leatherhead looked down at him. “Is something the matter?’ 

“I need to talk.” Leo rubbed the back of his head. 

“Alright,” Leatherhead backed up, opening the door further so Leo could enter. “What do you need to talk about?”

Leo searched for a way to broach the conversation. He started and stopped several times as he struggled with what to say. With a heavy sigh he pushed back his apprehensions and schooled his features as he looked into Leatherhead’s eyes. “I’m having a problem. Mikey wants me to submit to him but I… am… ah…. I don’t want to.”

“Oh,” Leatherhead nodded and gestured towards a chair.

Leo walked over and sat down. “I went to talk to Donnie about it, thinking that he would understand and help me explain to Mikey why I shouldn’t be expected to submit but I just ended up with Donnie mad at me too.”

Leatherhead chuckled, sitting down in a chair next to Leo. “You must have said something pigheaded to get him mad.”

“Yeah,” Leo sighed. “I made assumptions about your relationship that turned out to be untrue.”

“Oh?” Leatherhead couldn’t help the smile that turned up the edges of his mouth. 

“I see you as an alpha, like me,” Leo explained. “Alphas don’t submit. It takes away from our status and makes us look weak.”

“I see,” Leatherhead nodded. 

“Please don’t look at me and call me a jerk like Donnie did,” Leo sighed. “I need someone who understands where I’m coming from. How do you bring yourself to let Donnie top you? I mean, don’t you find it degrading?”

“I don’t let him,” Leatherhead placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “I want him to. I love him and I know that every once and a while he likes to… ah… experience the sensations that come with being the penetrator. I enjoy it as well. Sometimes it is good to let go and give up control to someone else. You are in control of so much and have so many other responsibilities. Don’t you think it would be nice to let someone take care of you for once?”

“What about dressing up?” Leo asked, skewing his face up a little. 

“What about it?” Leatherhead tilted his head to the side. 

“Mikey wants me to dress up for him.” Leo leaned back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling. “Do you ever dress up for Donnie?”

“Occasionally,” Leatherhead nodded. “I can’t put on some of the things that Donnie can but there are a few things that I do to let him know that I’m in the mood to bottom. Stockings are out of the question for me, my scales and nails tear them up, but I have worn a kimono.”

Leo looked at Leatherhead and tried to picture him in a flower kimono and the face he made caused Leatherhead to laugh. 

“I’m not as pretty as Donatello,” Leatherhead chuckled, “but it makes him smile and for him, I would do anything to see him smile.” He looked Leo in the eyes. “Do you love Michelangelo?”

“Yes,” Leo nodded. 

Leatherhead’s voice took on a softer tone, “Don’t you want to see him smile?”

Leo’s throat closed up and nodded his head again. 

“It has to be something you want to do,” Leatherhead said. “If you force yourself or do it begrudgingly, Michelangelo will feel it and it will only cause you more problems.”

“Mating season is coming up,” Leo sighed. 

“I know,” Leatherhead smiled. “I look forward to it.”

“I’m sure you do,” Leo chuckled. “Maybe I will be more willing then.”

“That’s something you will have to discuss with Michelangelo,” Leatherhead stood up. “I have to get back to work. Bishop has piled a lot of work on me and Donatello.”

“Thank you, for your time,” Leo stood. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“Just remember that Michelangelo is a male and wants to be made to feel like one every once and a while.” Leatherhead stated as he walked Leo to the door. His words stayed with Leo as he made his way back through the sewers to his home. 

 

……

Raph sat with a blanket over his shoulders and a heater behind him and he was still cold. He sat on the floor and looked at the chess board on the table in front of him. Glancing up he considered Bishop. He was sitting across from Raph, waiting for him to make his move wearing a tank top and shorts. 

“How are you not cold?” Raph mumbled, moving his pawn up one space. 

“Easy,” Bishop replied as he moved his queen. “I’m a warm blooded human and you are a cold blooded terrapin.”

“Oh yeah,” Raph scoffed. “I’d forgotten.”

In the four months since he had agreed to work for Bishop, Raph had grown to actually like him. Once he got passed Bishop’s schooled and controlled exterior, Raph discovered that there was a man underneath who had a decent since of humor. They got along quite well and Bishop handled him better than anyone ever had. 

Bishop gave Raph enough freedom to keep him happy but used enough control to keep Raph in check. Raph had never been so calm in his life. He moved his rook then sat back and waited for Bishop to move. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Bishop moved his queen to take Raph’s knight. “Check.”

“Fuck!” Raph blurted then looked for his way out. “Yeah sure.”

“Do you believe in reincarnation?” 

Raph looked up at Bishop but he couldn’t read him well enough to tell if he was joking or not. Raph shrugged. “Not really sure. Why?”

Bishop leaned back a little and Raph could have sworn that he looked nervous. “I do,” he stated. 

“You do?” Raph moved his king.

“Of course,” Bishop leaned forward to study the board. “I transfer something each time I enter a new clone body, that same something is in each of us and is simply reborn.”

“Alright,” Raph pulled the blanked tighter around him. “Is there a point to this?”

“I believe that you are the reincarnation of someone I knew before my abduction.” Bishop moved his bishop. “Check.”

“Were you friends?” Raph considered the board. “Or are you about to go all crazy and try to kill me?” 

Bishop laughed, “We were friends.”

“What makes you think I’m him?” Raph moved his pawn to block.

“I have found him three other times and each time he was the same,” Bishop explained, then added while moving his rook to take one of Raph’s pawns, “more or less. Check.” 

“Must have been a good friend for you to seek him out,” Raph sighed. He had few options and all of them ended with his king in check again. 

“He actually happens to come into my life one way or another on his own. But yes we were close.” Bishop let out a deep sigh and just as Raph reached up to move his knight, Bishop said, “We were lovers.”

The words struck Raph in a way that he knocked the piece in his hand against anther knocking it over then, in an attempt to grab it, knocked over several other pieces as well. He looked up at Bishop in shock then his surprise was quickly replaced with anger. “You fuck!”

Raph stood. “What? Did it take you four whole months to come up with that? Thought you would make a joke about what you heard between me and my brothers?” He was fuming. “Or did you come up with it a while back and sat on it so that you can spring it on me now, of all times?”

“This is not a joke.” Bishop stood, holding out his hands in an attempt to keep Raph calm. “Why is now a bad time to bring it up?”

“It’s mating season, you fucktard,” Raph shouted back. 

Raph turned to leave but Bishop grabbed his hand. “This isn’t a joke. I waited this long because I wasn’t sure at first, I had to test you. Then I had to wait for you to be comfortable around me and let you get to know how I was outside of work. I had no idea that mating season had any effect on you.”

Raph wanted to yank his hand out of Bishop’s grasp but something inside him kept him from doing it. He looked down at his hand in Bishop’s then up into Bishop’s eyes. “It wouldn’t work,” saying the words out loud gave Raph the strength he needed to pull his hand free and turn around but not enough to leave. 

“Why not?” Bishop stood there looking at Raph. 

“I’m a mutant turtle and you’re a human, mostly.” Raph kept his back to Bishop. “Why would you even want to be with me? I… it would be too close to bestiality since I’m the least mutated out of my brothers.”

“Please.” Bishop held his hand out but didn’t touch Raph. “We can work.”

“If you’re playing me,” Raph warned but his voice held more of a plea than a threat. He hated to admit it but he had found himself drawn towards Bishop more and more over the past few months. He wanted to spend his free time with him and went out of his way so that he could. 

Bishop stepped closer to Raph. “I’m being honest. I have waited to find you for almost fifty years now and I want to be with you.”

“You must be a little disappointed.” Raph stepped away but still couldn’t bring himself to leave. 

“I’ll admit that I was a little when I first started to realize that it was you,” Bishop admitted. “You tested me last time so I guess this is your way of testing me again.”

Looking back over his shoulder, Raph actually let himself chuckle. “I’ll bite. How were you tested last time?”

“You were a woman,” Bishop answered flatly causing Raph to let out a hearty laugh. 

“That must have been hard for you. Maybe next time I’ll come back as an alien,” Raph joked earning a gentle chuckle from Bishop. He turned and looked up into Bishop’s eyes. “You really think that I’m this guy reincarnated?”

“Yes,” Bishop breathed, closing the gap between them. “I do. He was my soul mate and when he died, I thought I had lost him forever. But then, years later, another man came into my life and there was an instant connection. He reminded me so much of the love I lost. What made me start to believe that he was my soul mate reincarnated was when he remembered things that he was never around for. When he died, I knew all I had to do was wait and that his soul would find me again, somehow.”

“Why didn’t you just clone your soul mate, like you do yourself?” Raph asked, backing up against the wall. 

Bishop smiled and asked, “Would you let me clone you?”

Raph shook his head. “No. I don’t want to watch everyone I love grow old and die.”

“That is the same answer I’ve received each time,” Bishop said, moving up close to Raph again. “Just listen to the voice inside and it will tell you that I’m telling you the truth. There is a part of you that wants to be with me.”

Raph’s heart pounded in his chest as Bishop placed his hand on Raph’s jaw and drew him in to a kiss. At first it was strange and a bit awkward but far from unpleasant. Bishop’s lips were soft and his smaller tongue slid along Raph’s, drawing it out. Raph followed Bishop’s direction and pushed his tongue forward into Bishop’s mouth where Bishop sucked on it gently. 

They pressed against each other, eliciting a churr from Raph. He could feel Bishop smile into the kiss and Raph pushed him back. “Thank that’s funny, do you?”

“I thought it was cute,” Bishop smiled. 

“I ain’t cute,” Raph turned away but he couldn’t go far, being trapped against the wall. 

“I’ll let you set the pace,” Bishop backed up. A sly smile spread across his lips. “You are the virgin after all.”

“Haha,” Raph’s fake laugh was laced with sarcasm, but his heart pounded. Part of him wanted this, but the other part was screaming that it was going to blow up in his face somehow. “How is this gonna work? Are you gonna wanna keep this secret or what?”

“As soon as you are ready, I want you to move into my room,” Bishop answered. Raph wasn’t sure he had heard Bishop right. Not only did he want a relationship with Raph, he didn’t care who knew about it.

“There will be no public displays of affection, of course.” Bishop crossed his arms over his chest. “When we’re at work, we work. In our room, we can do whatever we want.”

“Okay,” Raph heard himself say. “We can go to your room later tonight, maybe.”

“We can go there now,” Bishop stepped towards Raph. Tilting his head back and parting his lips, Raph opened himself up to Bishop who took full advantage. He pressed in for a heated kiss, pushing his tongue in to slide along Raph’s. 

The art of the kiss was still new to Raph and the differences in their mouths posed a minor challenge but they quickly found their rhythm. They would capture each other’s tongues to gently suck on them before releasing them then would work to capture each other’s tongues again. 

Raph didn’t know what to do with his hands, so they hung down at his sides occasionally clenching in to fists. Bishop, however, moved his down Raph’s bridges; the simple touch sending shockwaves of desire to Raph groin. 

Natural lube seeped from Raph’s cloaca and he flushed, hoping that Bishop didn’t notice. He wondered if Bishop’s sense of smell was acute enough to detect the pheromones that Raph was releasing because the scent was heady to Raph. Bishop’s hands moved down to Raph’s hips, causing Raph’s throat to close in a deep churr. 

When his tip emerged and flared, Raph broke the kiss and turned away. A whole body shiver overcame him and he focused on his breathing. He couldn’t pull his tip back in until his arousal subsided, and he wasn’t ready for Bishop to see it. He was afraid that if Bishop saw how close to an animal he really was, then he would no longer want him. 

“Are you okay?” Bishop placed a hand on Raph’s shoulder. 

“I’m okay,” Raph took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “I just need to let my head clear so I can think.”

“Take your time,” Bishop soothed. “Like I said, I’ll let you set the pace. Just don’t take too long. I’ve waited fifty years for you.” He leaned in and kissed the nape of Raph’s neck. 

Raph turned to face him, ready to get back to kissing when an alarm sounded. “I’m needed,” Raph sighed. “We can… talk… more in your room later tonight.”

“Absolutely,” Bishop smiled. 

“Kay,” Raph waited as Bishop backed up then turned to run out of the room. It wasn’t long before he was dressed and on his way to stop the Purple Dragons. The more he thought about it the more he wanted to make them pay for interrupting his evening.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> T-cest: Mikey/Leo  
> Warning: Character injury.

Hun walked into Garbageman’s lab. “Do you have a plan to handle our little Nightwatcher problem yet?”

Garbageman looked up from his workstation and tossed a cube device to Hun. “Make sure he gets that.”

Hun caught the device then turned it over in his hands. “What is it?”

“Nothing really,” Garbageman shrugged. “A component to a larger device of some sort. I modified it.”

“How so?” Hun continued to look at the cube.

“Let’s just say that all of their previous findings on this device won’t prepare them for what this one does,” Garbageman grinned. “It will defiantly get our message across.”

“Good,” Hun turned to leave. “As long as it leaves someone in pain….”

“Oh it will do more than that,” Garbageman hollered after him. 

…..

Leo and Mikey had a long talk after Leo got back from visiting Leatherhead. Leo spent most of the time kneeling on the floor apologizing while Mikey sat balled up on his bed. The more they talked about it the more Mikey uncoiled himself and Leo was allowed to join him on the bed. 

“I get it now,” Leo’s voice was barely a whisper. “I was treating you like a… female.”

“Would you rather be with a girl?” Mikey managed to choke out. 

Leo wrapped his arms around Mikey and rested his chin on Mikey’s shoulder. “If a female mutant turtle walked into the lair tomorrow I would chose you. I love you and I want to see you smile.”

Mikey turned out of Leo’s arms so that he could look him in the eyes. “Will you dress up for me?”

“You’re not gonna let that go, are you?” Leo sighed. 

Mikey shook his head. “No.” 

Leo leaned against the wall, rubbing his head while he thought of what to say. He looked over at Mikey and couldn’t help but smile. Mikey’s blue eyes sparkled as he watched Leo and he looked like he did back when they were kids and he was waiting for his ration of a chocolate bar. “One thing at a time,” Leo finally said. “Let’s start with you topping and go from there.”

Mikey smiled then bit his bottom lip as he crawled over Leo. “You’re gonna let me top?”

Leo nodded and Mikey didn’t need any more of an invitation that that. With a squeal and a giggle, Mikey grabbed Leo by the shoulders and moved him from the wall to lie down on the bed. 

“Okay. So I guess you wanna do it now?” Leo chuckled. 

“You bet I do.” Mikey got to work removing their gear. “I’ve been waiting too long for this.”

Once they were naked, Mikey reached into his bed side table and pulled out a tube of lube while pressing his mouth against Leo’s. 

Leo could feel Mikey’s erection already out and ready to go, rubbing against his thigh. Leo placed his hand on Mikey’s chest and could feel his heart pounding. The excitement had Mikey’s body trembling in anticipation. 

“Calm down, Mikey,” Leo soothed as he caressed Mikey’s cheek. 

“If I screw this up, you’re never gonna wanna do this again,” Mikey explained as he coated his fingers with lube. “I want you to like it.”

Leo smiled and looked up into Mikey’s eyes. “I didn’t like tea the first time I tried it.” Mikey stopped what he was doing and looked down at Leo, shaking his head slightly in confusion. Leo heaved a gentle sigh. “It took me a few tries to acquire a taste for it but once I did, it became my drink of choice.” The blank look on Mikey’s face made Leo chuckle. “I’m sure being on bottom will be like trying tea for the first time but in time I’ll wanna do it more and more.”

“That was really sweet,” Mikey smiled. He bent down to capture Leo’s lips. He took his time prepping Leo and made sure to pay extra attention to the tight cluster of nerves that had Leo’s body twitching. The tight warmth felt so good around Mikey’s finger that it increased his longing to be inside of Leo.

“I can’t wait any longer,” Mikey husked as he pulled his finger out and moved over Leo. “I wanna be inside you so bad.”

“Okay,” Leo whispered, running his hand down Mikey’s arm. “If it feels as good as your finger did then this is gonna be more like trying chocolate for the first time.”

Mikey laughed and pressed his beak against Leo’s as he pressed his tip against the tight ring of muscles. Leo was relaxed so his body relented and stretched for Mikey. 

“Dude,” Mikey breathed as he was enveloped in Leo’s velvety warmth. He moved slowly, biting his bottom lip as his body shook with the effort. When he was fully embedded, Mikey’s breathing was labored and sweat glistened on his body. 

“It’s pretty good, isn’t it,” Leo smiled up at Mikey. 

“Good is a major understatement,” Mikey panted. “I just need a second.”

“Take your time,” Leo said, trying not to laugh. 

“And here I thought the reason you stopped our first time was to give my body time to adjust,” Mikey quipped. “Now I know better. It was so you wouldn’t sploosh in my ass after two seconds.”

“Sploosh?” Leo lifted an eye ridge. “That’s a new word for it.”

“I gotta keep it interesting,” Mikey grinned. 

Leo wrapped his arms behind Mikey’s neck. “You are the master at making things interesting, Mikey.”

“It’s a gift,” Mikey managed to say before Leo pulled him down into heated kiss. 

By this time the shock had worn off and Mikey was able to move again without the fear of losing it. He held on to the kiss as he moved in long, slow strokes. 

At first Mikey wasn’t sure if Leo was enjoying it but he was soon encouraged by gentle gasps and churrs and the way Leo’s body clenched around him.

“Mikey,” Leo gasped, digging his fingers into Mikey’s arm. “This is definitely more like chocolate,” Leo said quickly before he churred. His inner walls rippled around Mikey’s cock, causing Mikey to call out as he could no longer contain his load. 

Their bodies shook and their chests heaved as Mikey continued to move until exhaustion had him collapsing on the bed. 

Leo just lied there, looking up at the ceiling as he caught his breath. After a while he turned his head to look at Mikey, who had a wide grin on his face. 

“More like chocolate, huh Leo?” Mikey licked his lips. “Does this mean that you’ll want more?” 

“Yeah,” Leo smiled back. “It does.”

“You know,” Mikey propped himself up a little so he could run his fingers over Leo’s plastron. “If you ever wanna do it this way again, all you have to do is dress up or at least put on stockings. You never know, that could end up being like chocolate too.”

Leo laughed, “I’ll think about that.”

Mikey rested his head on Leo’s shoulder and the two started to drift off. Leo was almost fully asleep when a loud boom shook the lair. 

……

Donnie lay in bed as his mind raced. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his thoughts enough to sleep, but he just couldn’t shut it off. He worried that his current updates on the security systems were not enough and that the firewalls he put on the computer would fail and all their secrets would be reviled.

He thought about the possibilities of what would happen if they were ever caught; wondering if Bishop would somehow come to their rescue. Would Bishop be able to cover it up if they were discovered by a hacker? Security must be harder for Bishop with modern technology than it was back when he first started. He must hate the internet. 

Donnie worried about the Purple Dragons and wondered if they had figured out all of the technology that they had stolen from the wreckage of the Triceraton’s ships. He worried that his security systems wouldn’t be enough against the greater technologies of the alien race. 

Turning his head to look at his computer, Donnie thought about all the work that needed to be done. He told himself that it could wait, but his mind would not stop. He was already coming up with ways to improve the improvements that he had just put in place that morning. 

Then there were the devices that Raph had brought to him a few days ago. The new technologies that Donnie was given access to made him feel like the proverbial kid in the candy store. It took him just a matter of hours to figure out how some of them worked when it had taken a team of Bishop’s men several months. 

The things he had learned from the few devices he was given he applied to security in the lair. Security; it was Donnie’s obsession especially since Raph left. Raph was their protector and he was gone so Don had to compensate for his absence.

Raphael was also always on Donnie’s mind. He felt guilty about Raph leaving and worried over the dangerous situations he was in every day. Were Bishop’s improvements on the Nightwatcher suit enough? Donnie had a copy of the specs and was working on ways to improve them. The Dragons were using the Triceraton weapons and he needed to make sure that his brother was protected against them. 

He rolled over, turning his back to his computer. He needed to get some sleep; he had been up for thirty six hours, thirty five minutes, and twenty seven seconds already and his mind was starting to drift. He knew when he needed sleep. His work got sloppy and he made more mistakes, missing simple things. He added salt to his last cup of coffee and didn’t notice until he was halfway through the cup. 

He closed his eyes hoping that his exhaustion would force his mind to shut down and let him get his needed sleep. 

“Just one more.”

“No. I need to sleep.”

“I can sleep after I finish.”

“I’ll do a better job if I get some sleep first.”

“I really want to know what that other one does.”

“In the morning.”

“Just one look.”

Donnie sat up in bed and looked down at the devices scattered around his lab. Keeping his eyes fixed on the one he has yet to examine, Donnie placed his feet on the floor and got up. He walked across the lab and picked the device up, turning it in his hands to get a good look at it. When he found the seam of the connecting panels, he placed it back down on the table and picked up a flat head screwdriver. 

He worked to try to pry the device open and managed to force it, spilling the fuel inside on the floor and slicing his hand in the process. Donnie looked down at the small puddle of thick fluid, “Oh.” He looked around the lab and grabbed a nearby towel to mop up the spill while cradling his injured hand to his chest. 

The second the towel touched the fluid, it caught on fire. Donnie jumped back, dropping the towel on the floor. He ran over and grabbed his fire extinguisher. After a few tries he managed to get his blood slicked fingers to pull the pin, and then pointed it at the flames. But he didn’t move fast enough. The flames heated a beaker of chemicals that was nearby on the table and before he could act, it exploded.


	6. Chapter 6

Despite their earlier agreement, for three days after Bishop revealed his desire to be with him, Raph stayed in his own room at night and kept his distance. Bishop didn’t push anything, but subtly reminded Raph with simple gestures; a touch, a look, and even something as silly as a bishop chess piece on Raph’s nightstand. Of course it was the black one.

Raph held the chess piece in his hand, turning it through his fingers. He thought about what it would be like to be with Bishop. He had already been exposed to a different side of Bishop than he had known before and he wondered how much more Bishop would open up if they were to become intimate. 

“Fuck it,” Raph palmed the chess piece and headed out the door. By the time he got to Bishop’s door his nerve was lost and he froze with his hand on the handle.

“Do you need something, Raphael?” Bishop’s voice behind him had Raph jump and drop the chess piece. Reaching down to pick it up, Bishop chuckled. “Something have you on edge?” 

Raph turned to face him. “I thought we could talk.”

“Is that all?” Bishop handed the piece back to Raph. “I was hoping for a little more.”

“Play your cards right,” Raph tried to flirt but his throat closed up on him, making his voice squeak a little. 

Bishop reached past Raph and opened the door. “I’m ready to go as far as you’ll let me.”

Raph looked down the hall to make sure they were alone. He watched as an agent walked from a room, further down the hall, to another before heading into Bishop’s room. “I’m still having a hard time believing that you want me,” Raph confessed. 

“What would I have to gain by leading you on?” Bishop closed the door and locked it. “You are a high ranking agent within my organization and a symbol of hope for the people of New York. The last thing I want to do is anything that would have you leave.”

“If I move in here,” Raph placed the chess piece back with the others, “the others will know about us.”

Bishop nodded. “They will know we are together, but that will be all that they know. The people under my command know better than to try to get into my private life.”

“Sure.” Raph walked around the room, taking the chance to get a rare glimpse into Bishop’s private world. Raph looked over his shoulder at Bishop as he walked over to a desk and Bishop stayed still, allowing Raph to explore. 

Raph turned his attention to the items on the desk. There were several pictures and mementoes covering the old wood surface. Gliding his fingers over the cluttered space, he encountered a small keepsake box. He lifted the lid to glance inside and paused when a song started to play. 

He looked over at Bishop, but the agent continued to just stand there so Raph looked back down at the box. 

The song was hauntingly familiar and had him on the verge of tears. Lifting the box, Raph looked inside to see an old necklace and three rings. He could tell that the rings were an engagement ring and two wedding bands and figured them to have once belonged to Bishop and his wife. 

The engagement ring was yellow gold with a ruby set within an intricate design pressed into the gold. The wedding bands were simple gold bands. The necklace was also yellow gold with a ruby pendant and he could tell that the necklace was much older than the ring by the way the gold was worn and smoothed over.

“What is this?” he finally asked, looking to Bishop again. “Why do I know this song?”

“The box belonged to my wife,” Bishop explained. “She bought it when she found out she was pregnant. She liked to hold it against her belly as it played so that the baby would know the song.”

“You have a kid?” Raph closed the box and placed it back on the desk. 

“I had a daughter,” Bishop nodded.

“Okay,” Raph cleared his throat, “enough with the talk of the past. I came here because it’s mating season and I’m really horny. I figure if I’m gonna do this, it might as well start when I’m more open and willing.”

A smile spread across Bishop’s face. “I’ll be more than happy to help you with that.”

Raph walked over to stand next to the bed. “It’s not gonna be much fun with you in that suit.”

Taking the hint, Bishop removed his jacket and loosened his tie. Raph couldn’t believe the affect the man was having on him; the intensity in Bishop’s eyes as he removed his clothes had Raph’s heart hammering in his chest. 

When Bishop was down to just his boxers, Raph churred then held up a hand managing to choke out, “That’s enough for now.”

“Alright,” Bishop stopped undressing and walked over to Raph. “Now what?”

“We can kiss,” Raph heard himself answer and before he could change his mind Bishop closed the gap between them. Their mouths crushed together and they fell onto the bed. They moved up on the bed and positioned themselves so that they were lying next to each other; all without breaking the kiss. 

Raph followed Bishop’s lead and tried to match him touch for touch. He wasn’t going to show fear. Raph’s hands came up to Bishop’s back as Bishop’s fingers drifted down Raph’s bridges. When Bishop’s fingers moved down Raph’s hip then across to his inner thigh, Raph let his tail drop and resisted the urge to tuck it up against his body when Bishop’s fingers ghosted over it. 

He held tight to Bishop’s arm as he felt Bishop’s fingers press against his cloaca. Bishop waited until Raph’s grip loosened before pushing his fingers inside. The intrusion was strange but at the same time it felt so good that it caused Raph to stop everything else to focus on the new sensation. 

Bishop didn’t seem to mind that the kissing had stopped and simply focused on gradually pushing his finger in deeper. Raph gasped in surprise then churred as every muscle in his body moved and twitched uncontrollably. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever achieved on his own and his penis pulsated in response to it.

Bishop smiled. “This is good. If I can reach it with my finger, then I’ll be able to reach it when we have sex.”

“Sex?” Raph felt lightheaded and his sinuses closed up on him, making him have to breathe through parted lips. He wanted to insure that Bishop would continue to hit the spot so he raised his hips. Another churr escaped him and he felt himself flush. “What… are you doing? Why does it feel so good?”

“I’m stimulating your prostate.” Bishop moved over him and it was then that Raph noticed that he was no longer wearing his boxers. 

“Bishop,” Raph moaned then reached down to grab Bishop’s erection. He found Bishop’s penis to be strange, the way it had an extra bit of skin that could be pulled back to reveal a pink tip. Then there was the sack that dangled down. Raph reached back to feel them and found them to be soft yet firm. He wanted the chance to explore Bishop’s body but he didn’t want Bishop to stop. 

“Be careful with those.” Leaning forward, Bishop licked Raph’s neck at the pulse point, “and call me John.”

“John,” Raph planted his beak in the crook of Bishop’s neck. “I want you.”

Bishop removed his fingers and moved over Raph to place his tip at the opening of Raph cloaca. Raph was so aroused that he could feel the moisture dripping from his tail. He churred in anticipation and he couldn’t stop his body from trembling. There was a brief sting of pain as Bishop breached the opening, but it faded quickly. Raph braced himself for Bishop’s first thrust, but the beep of the intercom had them stop. 

Raph saw the change in Bishop’s eyes and he knew that if he called him John when that look was in his eyes, it would not be well received. Pressing a button on the intercom, Bishop barked, “What?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you, sir,” the agent calling responded. “But we are having a hard time finding agent Raphael and I thought you should know that there has been and explosion at the Turtles’ lair.”

“What?” Raph sat up. “Is every one okay? Are they under attack?”

“Agent… Raphael?” the agent sounded surprised to hear his voice, but quickly recovered. “Your brothers called trying to find you. Your brother, Donatello, was working in his lab and has been hurt.”

“Get a team of medical personnel and a hazmat clean up team together,” Raph ordered getting out of the bed. “I want Donnie seen by the doctors and someone to make sure that there are no toxic fumes circulating that will make my family sick. Don had a lot of alien tech in there.”

“Take Stockman,” Bishop stood and pulled his boxers back on. 

Raph turned to look at him, “Really?”

“He knows the items that were sent for your brother to examine,” Bishop explained. “If the explosion was caused by one of the devices he will be able to find out why.”

“Fine,” Raph pulled the door open. An agent ran by, staggering for a moment at the sight but continued on his way. “I don’t care what you say,” Raph grumbled, watching the agent look back over his shoulder. “They’re gonna be talking about this in the morning.”

“I had no intention of hiding the fact that we are together,” Bishop continued to get dressed.

“Yeah,” Raph ran from the room and down the hall to his own, to get dressed.

 

……

 

Donnie writhed on the floor, screaming in pain. Mikey and Leo managed to get the fire extinguished and Donatello out of the lab but there were massive burns covering the majority of the genius turtle’s body. While Leo tried to get in touch with Raph, Splinter had called Leatherhead. The large gator rushed over to tend to Don’s wounds but there was little he could do. 

Each labored breath Don managed sounded wet and he was coughing up blood. Leo and Mikey did their best to hold him down while Leatherhead tried to remove the pieces of glass and metal from Don, some bringing pieces of burned flesh with them. 

Tears stung Mikey’s eyes as he watched his brother cry out in pain. 

The door to the lair flew open and Raph started barking orders to the troops of men and women who came in with him. Stockman led a team into the lab; all of the people were wearing hazmat suits and holding various kinds of scanners. 

Another team rushed over to where Donnie was lying on the ground. Leatherhead, Leo and Mikey moved out of the way to give them room. Raph was in his full Nightwatcher suit and he removed his helmet to look down at Donnie. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at his family. “What the fuck happened?”

“There was an explosion,” Mikey explained. 

“We’re taking him out of here,” one of the medical team declared. “He’s in bad shape.” They loaded Don onto a gurney and rushed him from the lair. 

“Everyone needs to get out of here,” Stockman declared as he walked out of the lab. “Now. My team will clean this up and report our findings when we get back to the compound. A medical team will need to see all of you.”

Raph put his helmet back on. “I eagerly await your report, Stockman.” 

Mikey and the others followed Raph out of the lair and through the sewers in silence. Raph was mumbling something as they walked but Mikey had a hard time understanding what he was saying over the splash of their footfalls. 

They were ushered into a waiting van and Raph slid the door closed. The sound of Raph’s bike could be heard coming to life then the van started to move. The agent in the passenger seat turned to look at them. “Your brother has been sedated and the doctors say that they are confident that they can save him.”

“Thank you,” Splinter mumbled, bracing himself as they turned a corner. 

Once they got to the compound they were escorted to a room by another agent. “Where’s Raphael?” Splinter asked. 

“Agent Raphael is making his report to Agent Bishop,” the agent guiding them responded without turning around. 

“Where is Donatello?” Leatherhead asked. 

“He’s in the medical ward,” the agent replied. “Someone will come and get you when he is stable.” He opened a door to a suit of rooms. “Until then, it is requested that you all stay here. If you need anything just press the button on the wall.” Then the man left, closing the door behind him. 

Several agents came in to check on them as they waited. They were told that the fumes from the blast could be damaging to their lungs and the agents were ordered to make sure that they were alright. They were all given breathing treatments that lasted a good part of an hour. It wasn’t long after the treatment was finished that another agent came into the room to get Leo, without explaining why. 

Mikey just stood watching the door waiting for Leo to return. Leatherhead sat in the corner in a state of shock, tears streaming down his cheeks with every blink and Splinter paced the room. After about an hour Leo was brought back to the room with a piece of cotton taped his inner elbow. 

“They took some blood,” he stated as he stepped into the room. “That was it and then I got a cookie.”

Mikey rushed up to him and pulled him into a hug. “Did you see Donnie at all?”

“No,” Leo answered, leaning on Mikey for support. “I’m a little lightheaded. I need to sit.”

Mikey guided Leo to a nearby sofa and they sat together to wait. Time dragged on while they waited for news on their brother. After a few more hours Raph entered the room wearing his Nightwatcher uniform, minus the helmet. 

“Wanna tell me why Donnie was prying a piece of alien tech, with a highly flammable fuel in it, open with a screw driver at one in the morning.” Raph looked around the room. “Anyone?”

“We didn’t know what he was doing,” Mikey answered. 

“Really?” Raph glared at him. “What were you doing at the time?”

“I was in my room,” Mikey flushed.

“The only way this could have happened was if Donnie was exhausted beyond thinking straight,” Raph yelled. “I know I gave him the information Stockman had on that device, including how to open it up. Stockman found the flash drive with the information on it and Donnie had even made notes on it.

“You guys were so focused on each other that you missed all the signs.” He turned to glare at Leatherhead. “You’re supposed to be his boyfriend. Where the fuck were you?”

“Raphael,” Splinter stepped forward. 

“No!” Raph snapped. “This could have been avoided if you guys had just taken him out of the lab and made him sleep. But all of you were so focused on your own needs that you didn’t care about him.”

“Donnie pushed himself to make sure you were safe,” Leo snapped back. “He’s worried about you.”

“Don’t try to put this on me,” Raph’s voice took on a deep rumble. “The four of you were with him and could have stopped this.”

“How is he?” Leatherhead choked out, stopping the argument. “When can we see him?”

Raph stood in silence, glaring at them and no one said anything. Raph shifted his stance and took a deep breath to calm down. “He’s stable. I’ll take you to see him.” The others shifted to move but Raph held up his hand, making them wait. “Bishop wanted me to let you know that the chemical has been cleaned from the lair and it is safe for you to return home. However, if you want to stay here while Donnie recovers you are welcome to but you will be required to have an escort anytime you leave this room. Do you understand?”

“Got it,” Leo nodded. “Now can we, please, see Donnie?”

“Follow me,” Raph turned and headed out the door. He led them through the compound, passing several agents along the way. He then stopped at a door with a keypad lock and punched in a code before leading them inside. 

There were several doctors in the room, monitoring Donnie’s vitals. Mikey’s jaw dropped when he saw Donnie in a see through stasis chamber filled with pink fluid. “How can he breathe?”

“He can breathe the stuff he’s in,” Raph answered. “I’m told it’s like being in the womb. The fluid is also aiding in the healing process. He will be scarred but not as bad as he would have been if he healed on his own and it’s repairing the damage to his lungs.”

“Why did they need my blood,” Leo asked as he walked over to the chamber. 

“Cause you and Don are blood brothers. You are most likely from the same clutch.” Raph held up his hand before Leo could say anything. “They made the pink stuff from your blood. They needed as close a DNA match as possible and they couldn’t take it from Donnie so they had to get it from you.”

Raph headed over to the door. “I’m gonna leave you guys here. When you’re ready to go back to your room, Agent Stevens here will escort you back.” He left the room before anyone could gather their thoughts to say anything.


	7. Chapter 7

Leo had to sit down; the day’s events were having an effect on him. As he slumped forward in the chair he was surrounded by a team of doctors. Mikey looked on as his love was examined. “You okay, Leo?”

“I’m just tired,” Leo mumbled and the doctors soon agreed. 

“I will escort you back to your rooms,” a nearby agent offered, resting his hand on Leo’s shoulder. 

“I’ll go with him,” Mikey said. “I’m starting to feel a little tired too.”

The agent nodded, “This way then.”

Mikey looked at Splinter and Leatherhead, he could tell that the large gator had no intention of leaving Donny’s side. Splinter nodded to Mikey, “You go ahead. I’m going to stay here for a little longer.”

“Okay,” Mikey said then went over to help Leo stand and supported him on the walk back to their rooms. They were about halfway there when Leo’s legs gave out and Mikey scooped him up in his arms. “I got you, Leo.”

“I can walk,” Leo tried to protest.

“Knock it off, Leo,” Mikey chided. “I thought you learned your lesson. Just shut up and let me take care of you.”

Leo settled in Mikey’s arms and nuzzled his neck. “You’re the best boyfriend, Mikey. I’m sorry I’ve been having a hard time giving in to you.”

“I understand,” Mikey said then kissed Leo’s head. “You like being in control and hate being vulnerable.”

“You amaze me with your level of maturity sometimes,” Leo chuckled. 

“I’m good at hiding it most of the time,” Mikey smiled. “I got a rep to keep.”

Leo was asleep by the time they got to the rooms. Once they were left alone, Mikey went back and peered through different doors to find a bedroom. He found one with a bed large enough to fit them both and placed Leo down on it. He then stripped Leo of his gear and covered him with a blanket before removing his own gear and joining him in bed. 

He watched Leo sleep for a while. It was times like this when Mikey felt a surge of emotion build up inside. He didn’t know if he was more vulnerable to it because he was tired or if he was just more aware of it in the stillness of the night but it was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes. He couldn’t imagine what Leatherhead was going through at the moment. If anything were to happen to Leo, Mikey knew he would be beside himself with worry. When he could no longer keep his eyes open, Mikey leaned in and kissed Leo’s forehead then snuggled up close. 

Mikey woke up when he heard the front door open and his father’s soft, “Thank you,” to whoever lead him back to the rooms. A few moments later, Splinter peeked into the room. A soft smile spread across his face then he disappeared again. 

Mikey heard Splinter close a door and the rooms were silent again and Mikey fell back asleep.

…….

Bishop, at some point, must have programed the door to open for Raph because it was unlocked when he stepped in front of it. Bishop was waiting for Raph, standing in the center of the room, and looked up when the door opened. 

“Are you alright?” Bishop asked.

“Not really,” Raph ran right to him and Bishop opened his arms to embrace him. He did not cry, he just wanted to be held. He found comfort in Bishop’s arms, and the steady beating of Bishop’s heart calmed the fire in Raph’s belly. “I feel helpless in all of this.”

Without a word, Bishop helped Raph out of his gear and then removed his suit and together they crawled into bed. Raph rested his head on Bishop’s chest and his fingers explored the human’s abdomen, settling on the circle connectors. He knew they were a result of the cloning process and the way Bishop transferred his soul but he still wondered, “Do these hurt?”

“No,” Bishop answered. “If you were to dig your fingers into them and try to pull them out, it would hurt. But if you touch them I’m fine.”

Raph lifted himself up a little to continue exploring Bishop’s body. He didn’t really get the chance to before; everything had happened so fast. Every place he touched, he gauged Bishop’s reactions. A quick intake of breath, a shutter or a twitch, even the look in Bishop’s eyes guided Raph’s touch. 

Raph toyed with the elastic ban of Bishop’s boxers and that was enough for Bishop to remove them. As Raph sat up, Bishop parted his legs giving Raph a clear view of his crotch. 

“I won’t always be this horny,” Raph husked unable to take his eyes off of Bishop’s cock. 

“Pity,” Bishop smiled as he caressed Raph’s cheek, causing Raph to look up into Bishop’s eyes. 

“This is not an appropriate time to be doin’ shit like this,” Raph said while his hand continued to run along Bishop’s abdomen. “My brother….”

Bishop brought Raph down for a tender kiss before he was able to finish speaking. “You need something to take your mind off your brothers right now and you have a carnal need that I’m more than happy to satisfy.” 

“Okay,” Raph looked back down at Bishop’s body and continued to explore. Raph had never seen a naked man in real life. The closest he had ever been was when he saw Casey urinating in the forest out by the farm but he was never this intimately close to Casey. 

Bishop’s breathing was heavier than normal and hitched occasionally as Raph’s fingers roamed his body. Raph thumbed over Bishop’s nipples, noting how they hardened a little and caused Bishop to shudder. So he leaned over and licked one eliciting a deep moan out of Bishop. As Raph sucked gently on Bishop’s nipple, Bishop reached between Raph’s legs and started to play with his tail causing Raph to freeze and churr. 

“Don’t stop what you were doing,” Bishop stuck his finger in Raph’s cloaca. “We can explore each other.”

“You wanna see it?” Sitting back, Raph let himself out of his tail and Bishop removed his finger so that he could move his hand along Raph’s shaft. Raph blushed hard. “If you needed another reminder that I ain’t human, here it is.”

Bishop looked at Raph’s long purple cock and pressed his thumb in the flared tip. “I have no problems with you not being human,” he looked up at Raph. “I will love you no matter what form you take.”

“Love?” Raph felt his throat close. 

Bishop reached up with his other hand and caressed Raph’s cheek, “It’s okay if you’re not ready to say it yet.” 

Raph churred in response to Bishop’s thumb rubbing the more sensitive inner flesh of his flower like tip. He didn’t want to be the only one receiving pleasure so he blinked his eyes back into focus and looked down at Bishop’s still flaccid cock. 

Raph didn’t think that his heart could pound any harder than it already was, but it started to feel as if it was going to pound itself right out of his chest as he reached down to grab hold of Bishop’s dick. 

Bishop stroked the length of Raph’s cock and delicately thumbed the inside of his tip with each pump while squeezing ever so slightly. 

Performance anxiety made Raph dizzy with nerves. Bishop had lived for a long time, enough to find his reincarnated lover three times. He was experienced and knew what he wanted, where Raph was just barely out of his teens and completely inexperienced. Everything he knew about sex he had learned from porn or books, Splinter never really saw the need to give the Turtles lessons on the subject. 

So he decided to put what he learned from porn to good use and it was a good thing that a few of the ones he watched were male on male. He leaned forward and pulled the foreskin down on Bishop’s penis before putting the whole of it in his mouth. 

It actually started out kinda small but as Raph worked his broad tongue over the soft appendage it started to harden and grow. Bishop moaned and Raph took it as a sign that he was doing alright. 

The harder Bishop got the deeper it went down Raph throat and he simply relaxed it to continue to take the whole of Bishop’s dick into his mouth. Raph pressed down and felt Bishop’s tip strike the back of his throat. As Raph’s head was down, Bishop’s thumb struck a particular sweet spot within the faired tip, causing Raph to churr. 

“Oh God!” Bishop cried out, arching his back as his cock throbbed in Raph mouth. 

Raph pulled up with a grin plastered on his face, “Like that?”

“Nnh,” Bishop nodded as his chest heaved. “Do it again.”

Raph lowered down again and Bishop worked Raph’s erection with quick pumps. When Raph churred again, Bishop bucked his hips up into it as his stomach muscles clenched. Holding his breath, Raph stayed down and moved his tongue along Bishop’s shaft. He moved his hips, indicating to Bishop to continue moving his hand. 

Wanting more, Bishop pumped Raph eliciting churrs from the turtle. Bishop’s breath hitched and his frantic pumping started to stagger. “One more,” he moaned and Raph gave him what he wanted. Bishop’s body trembled as his orgasm overtook him. “Oh, fuck.”

Raph lifted his head a little and sucked the juices from him while Bishop thrust his hips a few times to finish. 

Uncertainty washed over Raph and he looked down at Bishop. “Was that okay?”

Bishop’s hand was still holding Raph’s erection and he pumped gently as a smile spread across his face. “That was more than okay,” he chuckled. “That was something new for me. I didn’t think that was possible.” He sat up and coaxed Raph to lay back. “You haven’t finished yet.”

Raph’s heart redoubled its efforts to escape his chest and he suddenly felt really light headed. 

Coaxing Raph’s legs apart, Bishop worked his finger inside Raph’s cloaca, pushing past Raph’s erect penis. It was tight but Bishop managed to press his finger deep enough to reach that cluster of nerves. With one hand pressing a finger inside, the other focused on the flared tip. “I wonder if we can stretch you so I can be inside you while you’re out.”

Raph’s body moved all on its own in response to Bishop’s finger sliding inside him and Bishop’s thumb circling the inside of his tip. One of Raph’s hands came up to pump his own shaft while the other gripped the sheets so tight that his knuckles were turning white. “I don’t know,” Raph grunted. “I’m willin’ to try.”

Pressure built up inside him, unlike anything he had felt before. “J… John,” Raph choked out before his throat closed up in a deep churr. “Oh~”

He couldn’t believe how good it felt and it was only getting better. Just when he thought that he couldn’t take anymore, the building pressure exploded in a mind numbing orgasm. Bishop moved his hand over Raph’s tip to contain the stream of cum while he continued to slide his finger in and out, working Raph through is orgasm. 

When it was done, Raph felt more relaxed than he had ever been in his life. Bishop stood and grabbed some tissue to clean his hand of Raph’s seed. Tears filled Raph’s eyes before he could stop them. “I saw what you did there.”

“What?” Bishop looked at Raph and saw the tears. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” Raph rolled to his side. 

Bishop stood looking down at Raph with a look of shock on his face. “Did I miss something?”

“Maybe I’m seein’ somethin’ that isn’t there,” Raph mumbled, keeping his back to Bishop. 

Bishop joined Raph on the bed and pressed up close. “Tell me what it is you thought you saw.” It was phrased in such a way that Raph didn’t feel pressured to say anything. Bishop kissed Raph’s shoulder. “I can’t make it better if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“It’s stupid,” Raph covered his face. “Never mind.”

“If that’s what you want,” Bishop leaned in and kissed Raph’s cheek then snuggled close to him. 

“Why didn’t you use your mouth?” The words left Raph mouth before he could stop them. “Is it ‘cause you couldn’t bring yourself to… have my cum in your mouth?”

“You really are having insecurities with this.” Bishop sat up and forced Raph to turn to look up at him. “When I first suspected that you were the one, I will admit that I had issues with it. I tried to prove to myself that it wasn’t you but I only succeeded in proving that it was you. I came to terms with what you are long before I approached you. 

“I didn’t use my mouth because I wanted to watch you,” Bishop smiled. “I wanted to see your face as you experienced it all for the first time and I contained your ejaculate with my hand because I didn’t want it all over the bed.”

To prove his point, Bishop leaned down and licked along Raph’s cloaca causing a full body shiver to overcome him. He then kissed up Raph’s plastron, licking up the few drops of cum that remained before moving to Raph’s mouth for a heated kiss. 

“I’m sorry that I was bein’ so stupid,” Raph whispered as they broke the kiss. “I’m just havin’ a hard time believin’ that you’re really okay with bein’ with a mutant turtle.”

“I told you that I would love you no matter what form you took and I meant it,” Bishop pulled Raph in for another quick kiss. “Now get to sleep.”

“Okay,” Raph felt his body relax. With his mind at ease, he managed to fall asleep in Bishop’s arms. He never thought that it would feel so right.


	8. Chapter 8

Leatherhead sat by the stasis chamber, wishing he could touch Donatello. Guilt filled him as he looked down at his love. “I wish I was there. I should have been there.”

Raph’s words earlier had cut Leatherhead to the core. What kind of boyfriend didn’t see the signs that his love was sleep deprived? He knew that Donny had a hard time sleeping when he focused too much on work. Why didn’t he help him? “I’m sorry.”

“Excuse me,” one of the agents softly spoke to get his attention. 

Leatherhead turned to see the young man standing not too far away. The agent smiled and pointed to a sofa nearby. “If you would like to stay in here tonight, you can sleep there. It unfolds to become a bed. We put it in here a while back so spouses of agents who have been hurt could stay with their loved one. I think you fit the criteria.”

“Thank you,” Leatherhead smiled. “I do not wish to leave Donatello’s side anytime soon.”

He looked back down at Donnie and placed his hand on the stasis chamber. “How much longer does he have to be in there?”

“We should be able to bring him up sometime tomorrow.”

“That soon?” Leatherhead turned to look at the man. 

The agent nodded, “That stuff works quickly. Donatello will be ready to head home in just a matter of days. I am allowed to give you any information on his treatment that you request. ”

“Yes, thank you.”

“I’ll get a printout right now,” the agent smiled then walked away. He stopped before he reached the door and turned back to Leatherhead. “There are blankets and pillows in the cabinets above the sofa. If you need any help with anything, feel free to ask.”

“Thank you,” was all Leatherhead could think to say. 

……

Bishop had convinced Raph to move into his room so Raph ran to gather a few personal things from his old room. A few agents saw him leave Bishop’s room, naked, in the middle of the afternoon. He saw knowing smiles spread across a few of their faces as they passed and knew it was a matter of time before the whole compound knew. 

He had to run back past the infirmary on his way and he passed just as Splinter came out. His father held out his hand to stop Raph. “Do you have a moment?”

Raph skidded to a halt and looked down the hall in the direction of Bishop’s room before looking down at Splinter. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Is there somewhere we can talk privately?” Splinter asked. 

With a heavy sigh Raph turned back towards his room. “This way.”

They walked in silence down the hall. Splinter was a patient man and held the questions that were burning inside of him. When they reached Raph’s room, Raph opened the door and stepped aside to allow his father to enter first. 

“You looked to be in a hurry when I stopped you,” Splinter stated as soon as the door was closed. “Is there somewhere else you need to be?”

“I was heading back here. Anything else I had planned can wait.” Raph said, gesturing to a nearby chair, “Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you,” Splinter said with a bow before sitting. “I’ve wanted to talk to you about something for a while now. I just couldn’t find a moment where I could be with you alone before.”

“We’re alone now.” Raph sat on his bed and leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs. “But if this is a lecture about living here and working for Bishop, I don’t wanna hear it.”

“It’s not.” The way Splinter said those words had Raph looking up to see the sorrow in his father’s eyes. 

Guilt filled Raph and he soon found himself on the verge of tears. “I’m sorry I blew up before. I wasn’t blamin’ you for what happened to Donnie. I was just ventin’ anger. I used to be the one who made sure he went to bed.”

Splinter shook his head. “I’m not here for that either.”

“Then what?” Raph asked. Then he felt himself flush a little and a mild amount of fear bubble up. “Have the other agents been talkin’?” He stood up and started to pace back and forth. “I knew that they would start talkin’. Fucking gossips. ”

Splinter gestured for Raph to sit back down, and said, “If there are rumors floating about, I have not heard any but now that you have brought it up, is there something I need to hear from you before I hear it from someone else?”

Raph sat back down and his heart hammered in his chest. He had no idea how his father would handle the news of him being in a relationship with Bishop. He cleared his throat and looked away, “Maybe, after we talk about whatever it is that you wanted to talk about.”

“Very well,” Splinter nodded then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Do you remember how I used to sit in Leonardo’s room while he was away in South America?”

“Yeah,” Raph nodded. “You said it made you feel closer to him. I even caught Mikey in there a few times, clutching that creepy doll he made.”

“When you left and I didn’t know where you were, I went into your room,” Splinter said, trying his best to keep his emotions in check. He watched his son for any response to his confession and was relieved to see that there wasn’t any anger in his eyes just curiosity, so he continued. “I was sitting on your bed. I never went through any of your things, I just sat. As I ran my hand over your bed, I encountered the item that you keep hidden under your pillow.”

As the words left Splinter’s lips, Raph’s features melted into sorrow. Raph took a deep breath in an attempt to hold back the tears but they broke free anyway. He reached back and removed the carapace from under his pillow. 

Splinter stood and made his way over to sit next to Raph on the bed. He placed his hand over Raph’s. “I will answer any questions you have. I know you were young so your memories must be fragmented.”

“How did he die?” Raph asked, running his hand over the dome of the carapace. 

“It was our first winter,” Splinter started as he recalled the memory. “I was still learning how to be a father and building our home. Our food was scarce so I rationed it. I did not know that the five of you would hibernate. If I had known, I would have let you all eat more.” Splinter moved his and on the small carapace. “The two of you were always giving the others some of your food. You curled up together and slept the longest but he never woke up.

“When you woke up you were so weak, I didn’t know if you would make it. As soon as you were strong enough, you wandered the lair looking for your brother. I don’t know how you found him but you managed to remove the rocks and lie down next to his body.”

“I remember that,” Raph said, nodding his head. “You told me to say goodbye.”

“When did you go back for the carapace?” Splinter asked.

“A few years ago,” Raph answered. “It was after I had a fight with Leo. I wandered the sewers and recognized the area. We hadn’t been there in years but I could see that you had visited. I tried to take all of him but he fell apart so I just took the carapace, then put everything back the way it was.” He continued to look down at the carapace, running his hands long it. “Are you mad at me?”

“No,” Splinter answered.

“What was his name?”

“I never got the chance to name him,” Splinter said. “I named you all after that winter, when I found the book on art.” He placed his hand back on Raph’s and managed to catch his eye. “I have always suspected that the two of you were close because you were brothers. Have you considered letting Bishop run a DNA test on the carapace to see?”

“That would require me telling Bishop about him,” Raph forced a chuckle. With a heavy sigh he placed the carapace of his unnamed brother back under his pillow. “Do you think the others remember him at all?”

“I do not know,” Splinter answered. “They never showed any signs of it. I assume that their memories of him are blended with their memories of you.”

“Thank you, father,” Raph forced a smile, “for being so understanding.”

Splinter squeezed Raph’s hand, “If you ever have any other questions, all you have to do is ask.”

Raph cleared his throat and wiped away the tear that managed to escape. “Well, I’ll take you back to your room.”

Splinter stayed sitting on the bed as Raph stood and made his way to the door. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Hmm?” Raph turned to look back at his father. “Do you need help up?”

“Isn’t there something that you would rather I hear from you and not as a subject of gossip?” Splinter said with a hint of a smile. 

“Oh yeah,” Raph cleared his throat again. “I guess it would be better if you heard it from me.” He sat back down on the bed. “Do you believe in reincarnation?”

“Yes,” Splinter nodded. 

“Good,” Raph said, as he wrung his hands. “That makes this a little easier.” He took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Bishop believes that I am reincarnated from someone he knew years ago.”

“Oh?” Splinter lifted an eyebrow. “Friend or foe?”

Raph swallowed hard, “Friend.”

“Something tells me that there is more to this,” Splinter said. “Why would he tell you that he believed that you are reincarnated from someone he knew if there wasn’t something he wanted from you?”

“It’s because… well…. The guy he believes I’m reincarnated from was… uh… Bishop’s lover.” Raph felt himself flush and he couldn’t bring himself to look at Splinter to see his reaction.

“That explains why I smell him on you,” Splinter stated flatly. Before Raph could react beyond a sputter, Splinter continued, “Do you believe that he speaks the truth?”

Blushing and keeping his eyes diverted, Raph shrugged. “It feels like it could be true. I want to be with him and I found somethin’ that was familiar to me in his room that I had never seen before.”

“Then I suggest deep meditation to know for sure,” Splinter offered. “Take yourself back and explore this past life.”

“I can do that?” Raph turned to look at his father and was pleased to see that there wasn’t even a glimmer of disappointment in his eyes. “You’re… you’re okay with the idea of me and Bishop together?”

Splinter smiled. “I want you to be happy and if he makes you happy then I am more than alright with you taking him as a lover.”

“Thank you, father,” Raph smiled. “I have to admit that I feel a lot better now that we’ve talked.”

“You can talk to me about anything,” Splinter said, placing his hand on Raph’s leg. “I will never stop loving you.”

“I love you too,” Raph said, leaning in and touching his head to Splinter’s. 

……

Raph stood with his family as the doctors opened the stasis chamber and drained the fluid within. It was a little hard to watch as Donnie’s lungs expelled the pink slime and gasped for air. 

The doctors rolled him to the side to let Donnie cough up all that he could then one moved in and suctioned out more with a small hose. An oxygen mask was placed over his beak as he was rolled back onto his carapace. 

The doctors reassured him but it was obvious that he was in a state of panic. It took ten of them to hold him down to keep him from trashing too much. 

Donnie’s body trembled, though Raph didn’t know if it was from cold or shock. Maybe it was a little bit of both. 

Leatherhead looked ready to toss the doctors aside to get to Donnie’s side. Fortunately they moved fast and got out of the way so Leatherhead could step forward and show Donnie a familiar face.

Raph couldn’t stop the smile that came from seeing the love between them. Before, whenever he saw them together, Raph would feel a swell of bitter jealousy and leave. But now he was happy for them and the love they shared. 

“It’s alright,” Leatherhead soothed, placing his hand on Donnie’s plastron. “You’re safe, my love.”

Donnie looked up at Leatherhead and immediately started to calm. Reaching up, Donnie touched his trembling, slime covered hand to Leatherhead’s snout. 

Leatherhead placed his hand over Don’s. “Let the doctors take care of you, my love. Once they are done, I will not leave your side again.”

Donnie’s chest heaved and he managed to rasp out, “Where?”

“Don’t talk,” Leatherhead shushed him. “Save your strength. You’re in Bishop’s compound. The doctors here saved you. Do you remember what happened?”

Donnie nodded. 

Leatherhead anticipated Donnie’s next question. “You have not been out that long. Their medical science is advanced so they were able to heal you quickly. It has only been eighteen hours since the explosion.”

He ran his hands down Donnie’s arms, the scars were barely noticeable. “The doctors need to clean you off. I will still be in the room, just out of sight. Your family is all here as well. Stay calm and let the doctors do what is needed.”

Donnie nodded again and Leatherhead backed away from him. The team of doctors got to work cleaning Donnie off then moved him to a more comfortable bed. He was connected to machines and covered with a warm blanket then he was carted from the room. 

They all followed while Donnie was moved to a more comfortable room that had a large window. The sky outside was orange and purple as the sun set behind the city. After a few more monitors were set up, the doctors left the room. 

Leatherhead sat next to Donnie’s bed and took hold of his hand. “How do you feel?”

Swallowing hard, Donnie licked his lips before mumbling through the mask, “Alive.”

Leatherhead kissed Don’s fingers, happy to see his love doing so well after thinking he was going to die. He couldn’t believe how good he looked considering how close to death he really was. He was so happy that he couldn’t contain his tears of relief. 

Mikey stepped forward and said, “You look really good, Donnie. The scars are barely noticeable.”

Donnie managed to smile up at Mikey but it was obvious that he was tired. Splinter stepped forward and grabbed hold of Don’s other hand then leaned in to kiss his head. “We will leave so you can get some rest.”

“I’m sorry,” Donnie whispered. 

Splinter shook his head. “Don’t. We do not need to place blame with this accident. You are alive and well and that is all that matters.”

As Splinter backed away Raph walked over and kissed Donny on the head. “If you need anything, just ask.”

Don grabbed hold of him, “Thank you.”

“Get some rest. You’ll be out of here before you know it.” Raph pulled away from Don and led the others back to their rooms.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sex

Raph sat, naked, on the floor with the music box in front of him. He focused on the feelings that it invoked and closed his eyes. 

Meditation wasn’t his strong point but he wasn’t a novice with it either. He relaxed his body and focused his mind, taking himself into a trance. 

He felt himself fall and memories that were not his own started to flash in and out of his thoughts. He fought to hold on to them but they were elusive. His frustrations made it harder and soon, they stopped. 

He opened his eyes and worked on steading his breathing. He had to stay calm, let them come to him. Opening the box, he took out the rings and let the music play. He looked at the ruby ring. “I never liked diamonds,” he mumbled to himself. “She must’ve been the same.”

He closed his eyes again, focusing on the image of the ring. He could see it sliding on his finer but it wasn’t his finger. It was a human’s hand. He felt the surge of joy and shock as he looked down at it. 

Rose. Her name was Rose. 

She loved Bishop. She was a strong woman, who fought for women’s rights. He saw her round belly and then felt the child as it kicked inside. The pain of the delivery and Bishop holding her hand was the next memory. “It’s a girl,” he whispered to her. She wanted her daughter named Ruby, she loved rubies and the color red. 

Raph opened his eyes and blinked away the tears. She never got to see her baby, something went wrong and Rose died after the delivery. 

It took Raph a while to push down those emotions so that he could continue. He closed his eyes again and tried to go back further. Falling deeper into himself, more memories flashed. 

He was a black musician and was wary of the straight suit, white man who was suddenly interested in him. He had a strong will and fought for the rights of his people. He gave himself the name Ambonisye, Ambo for short, to break away from his ‘slave name’. 

It took Bishop some time but in the end they fell in love. Sadly their love was short lived. Ambo’s mouth was too much for a group of drunk, white men. They beat him and were about to hang him when Bishop finally got there to stop them. Ambo’s injuries were too much and he died in in Bishop’s arms. 

Raph went further back. He was a man of the church, Baptist. His name was Obadiah. He met Bishop and there was an instant connection. He helped Bishop deal with the trauma of his abduction. Conflict between his feelings and the laws in the Bible had him hanging himself. 

Further back. 

He was a young man named Ashly. Bishop looked so young in those memories, no more than sixteen. They grew up together, hid their love from everyone. They joined the war together and fought alongside one another. Ashly took a bullet to the chest and died three day later from infection. 

Raph opened his eyes and took a deep breath. His hand still clutched the three rings. 

“You were in a deep trance,” Bishop said from the bed. “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to be down there all afternoon.” He was in nothing but his boxers and held a book in his hands. 

Raph looked up at him, “What time is it?”

“Two in the afternoon,” Bishop answered. Being one who works more at night, Bishop tended to take a break for a few hours during the afternoon when the crime rate was at its lowest. “Your brother has been cleared to go. I thought you would like to be the one to tell him.”

“Yeah,” Raph stood, picking up the music box. “Thanks.”

“Why did you have that with you?” Bishop asked. 

Raph returned the box to where he got it and dropped Rose’s rings back inside. He made his way back over to where Bishop was lounging on the bed. “Ashly, Obadiah, Ambonisye, and Rose.”

Bishop’s eyes widened and he swallowed hard as he put the book on the bed side table. “How do you know their names?”

“I meditated on it and I was able to see bits and pieces of their lives.” Raph sat on the bed next to Bishop and took hold of his left hand. He slipped the wedding ring on to his finger. “You can start wearing this again. We can’t legally get married and a ring wouldn’t really look all that good on me but you can wear this to let everyone know that… you’re taken.”

Tears filled Bishop’s eyes and he cupped Raph’s face, “You believe me?”

“I do,” Raph nodded and Bishop pulled him into a kiss. 

Breaking the kiss, Raph looked Bishop in the eyes and asked, “What happened to the baby?”

With a gentle sigh, Bishop got up from the bed and walked over to pick up a photo album. “I only have one picture of Ashly.” He sat back down next to Raph and sowed him the old picture of a young man in uniform. He continued to turn the pages, showing Raph images of his past lives. Some of the pictures triggered more memories and emotions. 

“You lost them all,” Raph said when Bishop opened the album to an article about Ambo’s beating. 

“They all died early deaths, yes,” Bishop spoke softly. “And they were all my fault.”

“No,” Raph forced Bishop to look at him. “None of them were your fault. Ashly was shot. You fought for love with Obadiah but he let fear overwhelm him. Ambonisye shot his mouth off to the wrong people. And Rose died from complications with the delivery. Don’t blame yourself for any of them.”

“I am afraid, now, anytime I send you out as the Nightwatcher,” Bishop admitted. “I’ve never been allowed to hold on to the one I love. It’s like I’m being punished.”

“I ain’t goin’ anywhere,” Raph said. Then glared at Bishop, “And I’m not gonna let you change the subject. You still haven’t told me what happened to the baby. Did she live?”

“I was getting to that.” Bishop nodded, “She did. I couldn’t be a single father and raise a child on my own so I made sure that she went to a good home.”

“I know you. You kept tabs on her. Where is she?”

“She lives out in California and doesn’t know that she was adopted.”

Raph nodded, “Okay. Do you at least have a picture?”

Bishop turned a few more pages in the album and stopped at the picture of a baby. “This is Ruby.” He turned the page again. “I have school pictures and surveillance on her. She’s had a good life.”

Raph looked down at the pictures of Bishop’s red headed daughter and couldn’t help but smile. “She’s beautiful.”

Bishop closed the album then got up to return it to the shelf. As he turned back to Raph, he looked down at the ring Raph had placed on his finger. When he looked up, he was smiling, a rare sight to see. 

Raph gestured with his head for Bishop to come back to bed. “My brother can wait a few more hours. We can’t leave until the sun goes down anyway.”

Bishop closed the gap between them in four strides. 

They fell on the bed and Raph made quick work in removing Bishop’s boxers. Their hands roamed as their tongues explored the depths of each other’s mouths. 

Raph rolled to his back and Bishop moved on top of him. The insecurity that Raph felt before was gone all that he felt was desire for Bishop and total trust. 

Raph’s natural lubricant dripped from his tail and he churred when he felt Bishop’s penis rub against it. There was a minor amount of pain as Bishop penetrated him but when his cock hit Raph’s prostate, the pain was worth it. 

His tail came up and gently twisted around Bishop’s hanging balls, eliciting a moan from the human. Raph churred with each thrust and lifted his hips in time with Bishop’s movements. It felt good then it started to feel great. 

Raph’s penis tried to come out but his cloaca wasn’t large enough for it to fit past Bishop’s cock. So Bishop’s dick slid up against the bottom of Raph’s then plunged deeper to strike Raph’s prostate. Raph’s hands held the sheets in a white knuckle grip as his body tensed. “J…John.”

When his orgasm hit, Raph’s churr rumbled deep in his chest. Bishop staggered, gasping out before pounding out his finish. Bishop captured Raph’s lips again, pressing in for a deep kiss as they rode out their highs. 

Raph’s heart soared and he felt a sense of peace and belonging for the first time in a long time. 

…..

Donnie was sitting up in bed, reading over his medical report. Leatherhead was dozing on the sofa, finally able to sleep now that he knew Donnie was alright. It was hard for Donatello to read over the extent of his injuries and to learn how close to death he really was. 

He looked down at his hand. The wound was fully healed but the scar was deep. Clenching his hand, Don tested the tendons. He was fortunate that there wasn’t any damage. 

With a heavy sigh, Don placed the pile of papers on the nightstand. “How could I have been so stupid?”

He looked up when there was a slight knock at the door. Leo opened the door and looked in, “Can I come in?”

Donnie nodded and Leo turned to someone just outside the door and said, “Thank you,” before entering. He closed the door behind him then walked over to stand next to Donnie. “You look great.”

“So I’m told.” Donnie managed a weak smile, “I just spent nearly eighteen hours in an embryonic like fluid made from your blood after nearly blowing myself up. I guess I do look better than a corpse would.”

“I’m just glad you’re alive,” Leo said. “I promise, I’ll be more aware of you in the future and I’ll make sure you get some sleep. No more sleeping in your lab, okay.”

Donnie chuckled. “LH said pretty much the same thing. He wants to move into the lair now.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“I liked having somewhere to go so we could be alone together and I wanted to move into his place one day.” Donnie sighed. “We were planning on it and then Raph ran off to work for Bishop and I couldn’t leave too. I couldn’t do that to Splinter.”

Leo sat on the bed and took both of Don’s hands into his. “Move out and go live with LH.”

“But father…,” Donnie started to argue but Leo raised a hand to quiet him. 

“It will be alright. You won’t be too far away and we will know where you are. It’s not like you two plan on leaving New York.”

“I would never take Donatello away from his family,” Leatherhead mumbled from the sofa bed. “You all mean so much to him.” He sat up and looked at Leo and Don. “We discussed it. It would be better if I moved into your lair and we set up a lab in my lair. That way we keep work and home separate from each other.”

“That also sounds good,” Leo agreed with a nod. “You will still have a private place to go and it will be easier for you to sleep if you are away from the temptation of work.”

“No it won’t,” Donnie argued. “I would spend the whole night worried that something would happen or someone would manage to get into the lab while I was away.”

Leatherhead sighed, “We would have security measures in place. I’m sure Bishop would add to what we already have, given the fact that he has a vested interest in us now.”

“I just…,” Donnie sighed. “I’m no longer going to get away with the things that I used to anymore, am I?”

“You’re going to sleep every night,” Leatherhead agreed. “I will make sure of that.”

“Alright,” Donnie relented, looking down at his hands.

He looked up when the door opened again and Raph stepped in. “How you doin’?”

“Fine,” Donnie answered. He watched Raph as he entered the room and noticed that he was still not wearing his red mask, distancing himself from the rest of the family. “When will I be able to leave?”

“Today,” Raph answered. “It’s why I’m here, to take you guys back to the lair. I’ve already told Mikey and Splinter and they are waiting for me to grab you guys.”

“Good,” Donnie heaved a sigh of relief. “I can’t wait to get out of this bed.” He threw the covers off and moved to get up. 

“Let me help you,” Leatherhead said as he moved towards Donnie. 

With a soft smile, Donnie let Leatherhead fuss over him, though he didn’t really need the help. He held on to Leatherhead for support and leaned in a little bit. “Thank you.”

They collected the few things they had in the room then followed Raph out. He took them first to the rooms where Splinter and Mikey were waiting, with the rest of their things, and then they went down to a garage. There was a van waiting for them with a trailer holding Raph’s bike. They all entered, with Raph joining them in the back.

They rode in silence. When the van pulled into a back alley near the lair, they all exited and Raph hid his bike then the agent drove away. Raph walked with them down to the lair and Donnie wondered why. Raph looked as if he had something to say and Splinter kept giving him reassuring pats on the shoulder. 

When they got to the lair, Raph and Splinter sat down while the others put their things away. Donnie noticed that his lab had been cleaned and equipment had been replaced. Despite all the work the agents put into it, there were still scorch marks on the ground. 

“First thing in the morning, we will start to move things around,” Leatherhead said, pulling Donnie out of his thoughts. 

“Okay,” Donnie agreed. “I don’t think we’re going to get much done tonight. It looks like we are about to have a family meeting.”

“Should I join?” Leatherhead asked.

Donnie smiled and looked lovingly up into Leatherhead’s eyes, “You’re part of the family.” 

Leatherhead brought his snout down and nuzzled Don’s neck and Donnie peppered Leatherhead’s nose with kisses. They lingered in their moment as the gravity of what could have been, sank in. 

“I’m sorry,” Donnie whispered and Leatherhead wrapped his arms around his love. “You must have been so scared. I almost died.”

“You’re alive. Don’t linger on what could have been, my love.”

“I love you.”

They exited the lab together and were the last ones to join the others. Donnie sat on the sofa next to Splinter and Leatherhead sat on the ground, resting his head in Don’s lap. 

Raph took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Splinter thought it would be a good idea for me to tell you guys so I’m just gonna say it. I’m… with Bishop.”

“With Bishop on what?” Mikey asked. 

“What?” Raph looked up at Mikey then shook his head. “No…. It’s….” He sighed then looked at Splinter for a moment before clarifying. “We’re in a relationship.”

“That’s what I thought you meant,” Leo said flatly. “I’m just having a hard time believing it.”

Raph scoffed, “If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be sharing a bed with Bishop I would have laughed in your face. But now… it just feels right. He’s different in private than he is when he’s working.”

“You’re sharing his bed?” Donnie asked. 

Raph looked at Don and flushed, “Yeah… I uh…. I’ve move into his room.”

“That serious?” Mikey was still having a hard time believing it. 

“It’s complicated and has a lot to do with reincarnation and soul mates.” Raph stood up, “I just wanted you guys to know so there won’t be any surprises in the future.”

“As long as you’re happy…,” Donnie stood and walked over to Raph. “I’m glad that you’re happy.”

“I am,” Raph smiled then kissed the top of Don’s head. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore.” Raph stepped back and turned for the door, “I gotta go to work.”

They all said their goodbyes and Donnie watched as Raph left and couldn’t help but worry.


	10. Chapter 10

Donnie sat back and watched as Leatherhead and his brothers moved his equipment. They weren’t letting him do any work and it annoyed him to no end. “I’m not an invalid,” he griped as Leo passed. “I’m fully healed, you know.”

“You just got out of the hospital,” Leo paused and turned to look at him. “You just relax while we move it all and you can situate everything to your liking when we’re done.” He then turned and continued down his path. 

“I liked it all where it was,” Donnie pouted, crossing his arms over his plastron. 

“Don’t worry Donnie,” Mikey beamed at him. “I’m making sure to be extra careful with your stuff. That and Leatherhead won’t let me carry any of the more breakable things.”

“I’m not going to risk it,” Leatherhead stated as he entered the lair. “You stick to the piles assigned to you.”

“Just so you know, I haven’t dropped a single box all day,” Mikey said before sticking out his tongue. “I swear I have no idea why you guys still treat me like a child.” 

As they moved Donnie’s equipment out of his lab, they moved in several things from Leatherhead’s lair, including Leatherhead’s large nest of a bed. 

Donnie watched as they set it up and couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. It was a good thing that they had cleared everything out of his lab or that bed wouldn’t have fit. 

When they were done, it had taken them a little over seven hours to do it all. Mikey and Leo left the room Don could no longer call it his lab and went off to do their own thing so Don could set it up with Leatherhead. 

They spent a few more hours arranging everything and unpacking Leatherhead’s things. Don was grateful that he got to keep one multi-screen, computer set up in the room that was connected to Bishop’s compound and cameras that were in and around the lab. 

He also had several fiction books, organized on a bookshelf with a comfortable chair next to it and a reading lamp standing behind the chair. He never really had room for the books before and they had been kept in a box, out of sight out of mind. Maybe now he will have time to read all off the books that he had planned on eventually getting to. 

Leatherhead’s bed took up a good portion of the floor but the room still looked empty and large. “This is going to take some getting used to. It’s so… open and uncluttered. It’s too quiet in here.”

“Change is never easy,” Leatherhead stated. “But often times, worth it. You are not alone in this, my love.”

“I’m already finding it hard to breathe in here,” Donnie admitted while ringing his fingers together. “I… I think I’m having a panic attack.”

Leatherhead wrapped his arms around Donnie and held him tight. He nuzzled Don’s neck and spoke softly, “It’s alright. I’ve got you and I’m not going anywhere. We can talk anything through that you need to work out. We’ll take on every task together. Let go of the stress.”

“Let’s go set up the lab,” Donnie said, pleading as he tried to get his breathing under control. “I want to be able to get back to work as soon as possible. It’s just an unorganized mess over there right now.”

“We’ll set the lab up in the morning,” Leatherhead said softly. “Nothing is going to happen to it.”

“I need to get back to work,” Donnie insisted. “They’re depending on me. I need to figure out how all those thing work. I need to keep Raph and the innocent people of New York safe. I’ve been out for days, which means the Dragons are way ahead of me now.”

“Everything is fine,” Leatherhead soothed. “Bishop has a team of scientists working for him. Come to bed with me.”

Burying his face in Leatherhead’s chest, Donnie shook his head. “I need to work. I need to do something. I can’t just do nothing.”

Leatherhead sighed and looked around the room then his eyes fell on a box. A small smile turned up the ends of his mouth. “We’re not done setting up this room yet.”

“We’re not?” Donnie looked around the room. With his mind set on a task, his tension slipped away. “What’s in that box?” He pulled out of Leatherhead’s embrace and walked over to the taped up package. “Why is this one taped?”

Pulling out his utility knife, Don cut the box open and pulled the flaps apart before Leatherhead had the chance to answer. As soon as he saw what was in the box, he closed it again and turned his head to make sure the door to the lab was closed. 

“We still need to find somewhere to put those things,” Leatherhead suggested. “I’m sure we can find a few useful places for them… before we put them away.”

“Just make sure the door’s locked,” Donnie said in a small voice as a blush spread across his beak. 

As Leatherhead made his way over to the door, Don caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. It hadn’t dawned on him to look at himself before, to see all the damage. He had other things on his mind. Things more important than seeing what he looked like. 

Tears filled his eyes as he walked up to the mirror and looked himself over. How could they all say that he looked good? He ran his fingers over the burn marks and deep groves in his plastron. He could calculate from the scar patterns the intensity of the blast, his proximity to it and how he was facing when it went off. 

He could tell the severity of the burns by the way they had healed and he ran his fingers over the rippled flesh, noting that the surface was numbed to the touch. His hand moved up to his face and over the scar that covered his jaw, extending to his chin and up his cheek. He could see where his arms had protected the rest of his face and how he had crossed them in an attempt to protect himself. He turned a little to look at his carapace and noticed the cracks from when he was thrown against the wall by the blast. There wasn’t much of his body that wasn’t covered in scars. 

As he turned away, Leatherhead was there for him. Donnie crashed into his love’s waiting arms and pressed himself against his broad chest. He cried in Leatherhead’s arms as his sobs wracked his body. “I almost died.”

“You’re still here,” Leatherhead soothed. “You’re alive.”

It was crushing for Leatherhead to know that there wasn’t much he could do for Don, that this was a process that Don had to work out in his own time. But, he’d be damned if he let Donnie slip into depression over it. He needed to pull Donnie away from that train of thought before he was consumed by it. 

He lifted Donnie and carried him to the bed. Don kept his face buried in Leatherhead’s neck with his arms wrapped tightly around him and didn’t let go when Leatherhead tried to put him down. “How can you even look at me,” Donnie mumbled. 

“When I look at you I do not see the scars, all I see is my soul mate,” Leatherhead answered. “You’re touch can sooth the rage, the savage beast, which threatens to takeover. You are my beacon in the night. I would be lost without you.”

Donnie relaxed his grip and kissed along Leatherhead’s jaw, “That was so cheesy.”

“I’m a genius not a poet,” Leatherhead quipped. 

“I… I need you to help me take my mind off of all of this,” Donnie pleaded, breathlessly. “I can’t be allowed to focus on these things, on all the possibilities. It would just drive me crazy. I need you.”

“I know, my love. I’m already thinking of ways to distract you. I’ll get the restraints,” Leatherhead rasped as he set Donnie on the bed. 

“The restraints?” Donnie felt himself tremble a little but it was from excitement not fear. “Really?”

“It’s been awhile,” Leatherhead nodded as he pulled them from the box. He walked over and sat next to Donnie then held out the leather straps. 

Donnie lifted his hands to take the belts from Leatherhead and he felt the excitement fill him. One by one, Donnie put each on Leatherhead. He started by securing Leatherhead’s mouth closed then placed straps on each wrist, tightening them just enough. Leatherhead stayed calm and lied back on the bed while Donnie worked. 

Back when they first wanted to try having Donnie top, they were afraid that Leatherhead might have a bad reaction and become violent. So, as a precaution, they bound him and chained him to the wall. Leatherhead had stayed in control the whole time but the feel of the straps against his skin had become ingrained in his memory. Now anytime he desired Donatello all he had to do was wear the leather strappings on his wrists.

They no longer chained him to the wall or bound his tail; it was just the feeling of having them on that Leatherhead liked. 

As the hormones took over and his mind fogged, Donnie’s worries diminished. Being with Leatherhead has always been a welcome distraction any time he was overworked or anxious. 

Donnie kissed the end of Leatherhead’s mouth then worked his way down his neck to his chest. Leatherhead rumbled as Donnie moved lower and grazed over his cloaca. Donnie licked along the slit then stuck his tongue inside. The goal was to arouse Leatherhead enough to get him to open up but not so much that his penis came out. 

After two years together, Donnie knew how to read his lover and when he was ready. He stuck his finger inside of Leatherhead’s cloaca, just to confirm what he already knew. The inside was slick with Leatherhead’s natural lubricant and the velvety walls pulsated in response to the stimulus. 

Don gave himself a few good pumps before straddling Leatherhead’s tail and pushing inside. There was a mild amount of pain for Leatherhead as he was breached but it faded quickly. With his hands pressed against Leatherhead’s stomach, Donnie set a steady pace of long, fluid strokes. 

Despite their size difference, Donnie was big enough to reach Leatherhead’s prostate so the large gator received as much pleasure out of the encounter as Don. Leatherhead’s hand traced down the tight, whipcord like muscle of Donnie’s arm as he hummed. 

Don could feel Leatherhead’s stomach muscles flex as another deep hum sounded from his lover. Leatherhead was one who moved around a lot during sex, even arching his back and bucking his hips so much that he lifted Donnie, throwing the small turtle off balance for a moment. 

Leatherhead thoroughly enjoyed having Donnie inside of him. He looked down his long snout to watch as Donnie’s eyes glaze over. When Donnie realized that he was being watched, he blushed and chuckled lightly. He leaned forward and kissed Leatherhead’s chest. “I love you.”

Leatherhead’s nails dug into the bed and his tail thumped hard on the floor as they finished together. Donnie’s churr was different when he topped as opposed to when he bottomed. It was deeper and resonated in his chest where his other was higher pitched, throaty and tender. Leatherhead loved the sound of them both because he knew that Donnie couldn’t fake them. 

Donnie staggered a few final thrusts, trying to make the experience last a little longer. Once he was done, Don slipped off to the side of Leatherhead and scooted up to remove the strap from around his snout. 

Leatherhead open and closed his mouth a few times before rolling over to curl up around Donnie. “Sleep, my love.”

“It does help, having you here,” Donnie admitted in a groggy voice. “I always feel relaxed after a good orgasm.” Leatherhead watched Donnie drift off and listened to his steady breathing before drifting off to sleep himself.


	11. Chapter 11

Leo stepped out of the shower and, after toweling himself off, wrapped a towel around his waist and draped another around his neck. He hummed to himself as he walked to his room. He was both excited and nervous about what he had planned for the day. It was the first anniversary of when he had started dating Mikey and it was a big deal for them both. 

As he entered the room, Leo tossed the towel from his neck to a nearby chair then secured the one around his waist. He noticed the package waiting for him on the bed and a small smile spread across his beak. 

Sitting on the bed, Leo reached for the neatly wrapped package and placed it on his lap. He took his time removing the paper, making sure that it could be salvaged for at least one more use. 

Once the paper was removed and folded neatly on the bed next to him, Leo opened the box. Inside was an assortment of loose leaf teas. He lifted one of the bags and brought it up to his nose to take in its aroma. 

Mikey must have saved up for his gift, just from the smell Leo could tell that they were of high quality. 

“You like?” Mikey asked from the doorway. 

Leo looked up at him, “I do. I love it.” He placed the bag back in the box and closed the lid. “Thank you.”

Mikey stood there looking at Leo expectantly. 

“Yours isn’t ready yet,” Leo chuckled. “I need a little more time.”

Mikey’s smile dropped into a frown, “You forgot again.”

Leo smiled and let out a chuckling sigh, “I honestly wasn’t expecting you to want to celebrate our one weak anniversary. I’m sorry. Are you ever gonna let that go?”

“No.” Mikey crossed his arms over his plastron, “Why do you need more time, if you didn’t forget?”

Leo got up, put the tea and wrapping paper away, and then walked over to Mikey. “I need fifteen minutes to get it ready. That’s all I’m asking. I just have to set it up.”

“Fifteen minutes?” Mikey pouted. “That’s it?”

Leo nodded, “That’s all I’m asking for.”

“Okay,” Mikey let his arms drop back down to his sides. “I’ll go downstairs and I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”

“Okay,” Leo agreed before leaning in for a quick kiss. “Now get out so I can set it up.”

Mikey stood and watched as Leo closed the door then turned and made his way downstairs. He entered the common room where Splinter was watching his soaps. Mikey glanced at the clock as he sat down. “Fifteen minutes.”

Splinter’s ear twitched Mikey’s way and he raised his furry eyebrow. “You look like you were just given a timeout.”

Mikey looked up at his father, “Leo needs time to get my anniversary present ready.” Slouching back, Mikey crossed his arms over his plastron. “He probably forgot and is scrambling to put something together.”

“He did not forget,” Splinter said, turning his attention back to his show. 

Mikey perked up, “Do you know what he got me?”

“No,” Splinter answered flatly. “I know because he has been acting different all morning. He is excited and nervous about giving you your gift.”

“You read him so well,” Mikey said in awe.

“I know my sons,” Splinter replied then shushed Mikey. “If you are going to wait in here, please do it quietly.”

Mikey looked at the television and nodded his head, “Yeah right, sorry.”

He sat watching the clock, his leg bouncing with nervous energy. Splinter’s ears flattened against his head and he reached over to place his hand on Mikey’s jittering leg. Mikey understood the wordless request and did his best to sit still. 

After the fifteen minutes were up, Mikey was up on his feet and running to the room. He could hear Splinter’s gentle chuckle as he took the stairs two at a time. As soon as he reached the door, he could smell a sweet aroma coming from inside. “Time’s up, Leo, I’m coming in.”

“I’m ready,” Leo answered. 

Mikey took a deep breath and let it out in one puff then opened the door. He stepped inside the dimly lit room and his eyes fell on Leo. Closing the door behind him, Mikey leaned against it as he took in the sight. 

Leo swallowed hard and twisted his hands. He was standing next to the bed, wearing a blue men’s, short kimono that was open at the chest; one that usually was worn with a pair of pants, a black obi, and wooden Geta to complete the outfit. “I know this isn’t really what you wanted but I just couldn’t bring myself to wear an Odori kimono and stockings. It’s just not me. But I wanted to do something for you and dress up…. Don’t just stand there looking at me. Say something…, please.”

Mikey looked Leo over. “I… I like it. I like how short the kimono is. You look good.”

A nervous smile spread across Leo’s beak. “I taste good too.”

Mikey’s eyes came up and locked with Leo’s. He pushed himself from the door, closing the gap between them. As soon as he reached Leo, Mikey went for his neck and Leo tilted his head to give Mikey easy access. Mikey’s tongue moved up Leo’s pulse point and was met with the taste of blueberries and chocolate. 

Leo had covered his body in the edible lotion and Mikey was determined to lick him clean. He worked his way over Leo’s neck then down across his collarbone before pushing Leo on the bed. Straddling Leo’s hips, Mikey brought one of Leo’s hands up and started to suck on each finger. 

“Turn over?” Mikey husked, looking down into Leo’s eyes as he continued to lick his fingers. 

Leo nodded and Mikey lifted up, sitting back on his feet as Leo rolled over and lifted his butt into the air. The fabric of the kimono was long enough that it draped down over his ass. 

“Lift your tail,” Mikey said as he moved closer. Slowly, Leo lifted his tail, raising the kimono with it to reveal that he had been holding a butt plug in place. “You’ve prepped yourself already,” Mikey pouted. 

Leo looked back at Mikey, “I used the edible lotion there too. The plug is there to keep it in.” 

Mikey ran his bottom lip through his teeth and chuckled, “You’re too good to me.” He leaned in and grabbed the plug with his teeth then slowly pulled it out. Leo’s gaping hole winked at him as the lotion dripped down. Mikey spat the plug out then attacked Leo’s ass with is lips and tongue. 

Clutching the pillow, Leo hummed in delight while Mikey licked his insides clean. Mikey plunged his tongue in so deep that he was striking Leo’s prostate. One hand was down, between Leo’s legs, pumping Leo’s needy cock and his other was up and playing with Leo’s tail. 

Leo thoroughly enjoyed the attention Mikey lavished on him when they were together. It never mattered who was on top, Mikey was always more focused on Leo’s pleasure than his own. 

Mikey could have easily gotten Leo off with just his talented tongue but Mikey had his own desires to quell. As Mikey pulled back and got up on his knees, he slapped Leo’s ass. It wasn’t a simple pat, it was a hard, stinging hit. 

Leo gasped as he looked back at Mikey in shock but it didn’t seem as if it registered fully what he had done. Mikey forcefully grabbed Leo’s hips and adjusted his position to the desired height then thrust inside. 

Leo reacted to the rough entry, instinctively, by pulling away a little. Mikey’s hand came down in another forceful whack before moving Leo back into the desired position. The sting of Mikey’s hand lingered on Leo’s flesh and Leo found himself wanting more. 

Just to test if Mikey would do it again, Leo moved his hips, throwing Mikey off rhythm. Again Mikey’s hand came down to smack Leo ass then he was moved back into position. Leo churred and shifted again, earning himself another smack. 

Each strike had Leo’s cock throbbing as it brought him closer to his completion. He couldn’t believe how good it felt. Pain wasn’t supposed to bring pleasure. 

Leo kept sifting so Mikey would continue to strike him, eliciting churrs from them both. After a while, Mikey caught on and continued to strike before Leo could move. He would slap different spots across Leo’s ass and the back of Leo’s thighs, each strike leaving a dark outline of Mikey’s fingers, and then he would run his fingers over the heating and swelling flesh. Leo stilled and Mikey continued to strike, quickly bringing Leo to completion. Mikey finished soon after, thrusting in deep as he finished then flopped down on the bed.

Leo’s ass and legs stung and his body shook. He lowered himself, rolling over to face Mikey. They looked at each other in stunned silence. Mikey moved to speak but Leo cut him off, “Let’s not talk about it.”

“Okay,” Mikey nodded. His eyes sparkled as a smile turned up the edges of his mouth. “This was a great gift, Leo.” He leaned in and licked Leo’s neck, the sweet body lotion was now mixed with Leo’s sweat. “Now I know what to do to let you know when I’m in the mood to top.”

“I said I didn’t want to talk about…,” Leo started but he was cut off when Mikey swatted him on his upper thigh. “Mikey,” Leo gasped as a full body shutter overcame him. He ran his fingers along Mikey’s arm and closed his eyes. Resigning himself to the truth, Leo rolled back over and lifted his butt into the air. “Just… not so hard that it leaves bruises. We don’t need everyone knowing about it.” 

Mikey got up on his knees behind Leo and gave his ass another solid swat. “This is gonna be fun.”

….

Raph knocked his secret knock on the door and the lights in the apartment came on. They were usually off, she didn’t need them. He heard the locks click then the door opened. “It’s been a while,” Mrs. Morrison said as she let him in. 

“I’ve been busy,” Raph said as he stepped inside. “It’s dangerous out there and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.”

“I’m happy you’ve stopped by,” the blind woman smiled. “I made cookies. I was going to take them to church with me tomorrow but if you want a few, you are welcome to them.”

“I might have a couple.” Raph made his way over to the kitchen. “How’s everything with you?”

“I’m alright,” she answered. “I get nervous anytime they talk about you on the news.”

“You don’t gotta worry. I have a team of specialists lookin’ after me,” Raph helped himself to a few of the cookies then joined Mrs. Morrison on the sofa. 

“Everything going okay between you and that agent?” she asked, patting Raph’s leg. Mrs. Morrison was the first person Raph talked to back when Bishop first approached him with the intention of starting a relationship. He told her everything and trusted her more than anyone. 

“John and I are doin’ great,” Raph answered after swallowing his cookie. “I love him and it feels right to be with him. I’ve never been so happy. And to top it all off, my family is okay with it.”

“I’m glad,” she smiled, giving his leg a gentle squeeze. 

The first time he met her it was by accident and she was hurting for money. When Mikey got his hands on a briefcase full of money, Raph talked his brothers into giving it to her, though he never really told them about her. 

She had always been his sanctuary after that. He would visit, checking up on her and she would serve him tea or cookies, sometimes both. He helped her around the apartment and visited her more often than her own family did. He had even stayed with her a few nights after she had gotten sick. 

The day he let her ‘see’ his face, had his heart pounding in his chest. She didn’t panic but listened to him as he told her how he was mutated, occasionally interrupting to ask questions. After that he would spend hours at a time with her, telling her stories about their adventures. 

“Here,” Raph handed her a wad of money. “This should help with some of your expenses. I made it easy for you, they’re all twenties.”

“I don’t need it,” Mrs. Morrison insisted, pushing the money away. “Use it for your family.”

Grabbing her hand, he placed the money in it and curled her fingers around it. “My family makes enough money to get what they need. You live on a fixed income and I know you need this. We take care of the people we love.”

“I love you too,” she smiled and patted his cheek with her free hand. “Thank you.”

He kissed her cheek then sat there and watched as she sorted through the money and put it away. He stayed with her for several hours more. They never ran out of things to say, they never fell into a moment of awkward silence and he never overstayed his welcome. 

When he left, he made sure she locked the door before getting on his bike and returning to the compound.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: You might need a tissue. 
> 
> I took liberties with the story but that’s what fan fiction writers do.

Bishop entered the room to find Raph sitting on the bed with a carapace in his lap. Raph ran his hands over the dome before he looked up at Bishop, “I have a favor to ask.”

Bishop made his way over to sit next to Raph, his eyes staying fixed on the carapace. “I will do anything for you.”

Raph handed Bishop the carapace. “Will you run a DNA test on this?”

“I will,” Bishop nodded as he took the carapace. 

“Be careful with it,” Raph pleaded, unable to take his eyes from the small shell. “It means a lot to me.”

“Where did you get it?” Bishop ventured to ask.

Raph’s tear filled eyes looked up into Bishop’s, “There were originally five of us.”

Bishop nodded his head and looked down at the carapace for a while before asking, “You’re not going to ask me to clone him later, are you?”

“No,” Raph shook his head. “His soul is gone. It wouldn’t be him.”

“I’m glad that you understand that,” Bishop said with a halfhearted smile. “I would have done it for you if you had asked.”

“I know,” Raph managed to smile back. 

Placing his hands on the dome of the shell, Bishop took a deep breath. “I will run the test while you are out.”

“It’s the middle of the day,” Raph looked at Bishop, confusion written all over his face. “Where am I goin’?”

“Have you heard of the Make a Wish Foundation?” Bishop answered with a question. 

Raph shrugged, “Yeah, they grant sick kids their dyin’ wish.” Raph sat looking at Bishop who simply looked back at Raph. “Wait,” Raph stood and took a few steps back. “Don’t tell me that some kid wants to see me.”

“Jason Hudson,” Bishop nodded, placing the carapace on the bed. “He has a rare blood disorder and has a few months, at best, to live.”

“No,” Raph grunted them turned away. “I ain’t doin’ it.”

“You would deny a dying child his last wish?” Bishop asked as he stood and walked up behind Raph. 

“Just send someone else in the suit. The kid won’t know.” Raph hunched his shoulders. “I don’t like kids.”

“This kid asked for you,” Bishop said slowly, emphasizing the ‘you’. “Do you really want to lie to him?”

Raph looked up at the ceiling as he tried to fight back the tears, “It’s not gonna be hard to look at him, is it?”

“He doesn’t look sickly and he has all of his hair,” Bishop answered. He wrapped his arms around Raph and kissed the back of his neck, “Just don’t think about the fact that he’s dying. Have fun with it. It’s all set up, all you have to do is go to the hospital and pick him up. His parents have given their consent for you to take him on your bike. There are actors in the city, ready to play out a robbery where he can be the hero.”

Raph’s throat started to close up and he had to blink a few times to clear his vision. Swallowing hard, he managed to choke out. “I don’t like kids.”

“That’s bull shit and you know it.” Bishop walked around so that he was facing Raph. “You care too much and you don’t want everyone to see how much of a big softy you are.”

“Fuck you,” Raph sniffed as he wiped the tears from his cheek. He looked up into Bishop’s eyes to see that they were almost pleading. “Why does this mean so much to you?”

“He’s my daughter’s grandson,” Bishop answered. 

“What?” Raph’s eyes stayed locked with Bishop’s. 

“There is something else you need to know,” Bishop said as he turned to grab the photo album from the shelf. “We never finished going through this.” He pointed back to the bed, “Sit. This is going to be kind of hard to take in.”

Raph stared at Bishop in disbelief for a moment before walking over and sitting on the bed. Bishop looked nervous as he made his way to the bed, clutching the album close. Sitting on the bed, he opened the album then started to leaf through the pages. 

“Ruby grew up here in New York and met Octavius, a man who had an affinity for antiques. They fell in love, married, and had two daughters.” As he spoke he turned the pages, revealing the next picture cluttered page. “Her husband died but his brother helped to raise the girls whenever possible, whenever he wasn’t off exploring. He would bring them artifacts from his travels to add to their father’s collection.”

Bishop turned the page again and Raph placed his hand down on the page to keep Bishop from continuing. He looked down into the face of Ruby’s daughter and saw a young April. His heart skipped and his mouth moved but he couldn’t seem to form any words. 

“There are reasons people come together,” Bishop said. “And there was a reason you were so protective of her, even though you really didn’t know why.”

“April’s your granddaughter?” Raph was still trying to process the information. 

“Yes.” Bishop nodded. He moved Raph’s hand so he could continue. “April’s older sister, Robin, moved out to California with Ruby. Robin entered into a… relationship that ended badly. She was in need of work and ended up back here in New York.”

“I remember that,” Raph nodded. “We were at April’s when Robin showed up.”

“She didn’t know it at the time, but she was pregnant. She was a single mother for a while but married a few years ago and her husband adopted Jason.” Bishop turned the pages to show Raph. Raph even saw pictures of April and Casey’s wedding among the ones of Robin and her family. 

“Can’t you save the kid?” Raph asked, looking down at the pictures. “You can clone people and keep Stockman alive as nothin’ more than a brain, why not save him?”

“I can do a lot,” Bishop closed the album and stood. “But I don’t have a cure all. There are some things that even I can’t fix. Besides, would you really want him living like Stockman?”

“No.” Raph sat staring at nothing with his hands cupped over his mouth while he processed the information. “April’s your granddaughter. Why haven’t you told her? She’s seen a lot of shit, I’m sure she will believe you.”

Bishop shook his head, “She loved her grandparents and Ruby never knew that she was adopted. I don’t want to shatter their reality.”

“Bull shit,” Raph stood. “You’re afraid.”

Bishop nodded, “I don’t think April would like the idea of me being her grandfather. I don’t need her to know. I’m content watching from the sidelines.”

“So, April’s gonna be there, when I go see this kid.”

Bishop nodded, “Most likely.”

Raph nodded his head and took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” Bishop smiled then kissed Raph. 

Raph looked up at Bishop and lifted an eye ridge. “Is this the real reason you wanted to bring me back as the Nightwatcher?” 

Bishop let out a hearty laugh, “No. It was only recently that I learned that he wanted to meet you.” He turned and spoke into a communicator. “Agent Raphael has agreed to do it. Let the family know that the boy’s wish has been granted and get everything into place.” He turned back to Raph. “Get dressed. You have a show to put on.”

In the time it took for Raph to put on his Nightwatcher gear, the family was informed. As Raph made his way to the garage his cellphone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked to see who it was and smiled when he saw that it was April. 

He pressed the button to answer, “Yeah?”

“Thank you so much, Raph,” April’s overjoyed voice answered. “I was going to call you myself but I was told that someone was already working on it. I can’t believe how quickly all of this was put together. He doesn’t even know yet so I can’t wait to see the look on his face when you walk through the door. I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me and my sister.”

“Yeah,” Raph managed to choke out. His mind was swirling with mixed emotions and it made him a little light headed. “I’m on my way now.”

“Thank you, Raph,” April said, her voice full of both sorrow and joy. 

As he made his way to the hospital, Bishop gave him a run through of what was planned. Hundreds of people were involved with the set up and execution of the child’s wish. Police cars blocked off certain city streets and a few cops waved at him as he passed. 

It was a rare sight to see the Nightwatcher out during the day so people lined the streets to see what was going on. 

He pulled up to the hospital entrance and there was a team of people waiting for him. He was followed by news cameras as he was led into the building and up to the children’s ward. The healthier kids were up and out of their beds, standing in their doorways to watch as he passed. They giggled and bounced in excitement while being held back by their attending nurses. 

Robin’s husband was standing outside the door to Jason’s room and greeted Raph with a firm handshake. “Thank you, for this.”

Raph could only nod in response before he followed the man into the room. As soon as Raph stepped in, the little boy’s face lit up. Joyful tears streamed down his chubby cheeks and he started to bounce in excitement. “I can’t believe it!” he repeated over and over again as his emotions overwhelmed him. 

One of the volunteers followed Raph into the room carrying a mini version of the Nightwatcher suit. Jason looked to be no more than five but Raph knew that kids with illnesses tended to grow up faster than healthy kids. The thing that struck Raph the most though was how much he looked like Bishop. 

Jason was helped into the suit and the helmet was fitted over his head. Raph glanced over at April to see her watching her nephew with her hand over her mouth as tears filled her eyes.

Once Jason was in his suit Raph walked up to him. “You ready to go?”

Jason looked up at him, “There’s more?”

“We’re going on patrol,” Raph held out his hand. “Let’s go.”

“Really?” Jason’s voice squeaked and he did a quick dance of joy. Reaching up he placed his hand in Raph’s and they headed out the door. 

Before they exited the hospital, Jason took his hand out of Raph’s and puffed out his chest. Raph smiled at the kids attempt to look tough as they walked through the door. News cameras were everywhere to get the story but the reporters were respectful enough to keep their distance. 

Raph lifted Jason and got on his bike in one fluid movement then set Jason in front of him. He kicked the petal down and the engine roared to life. With Jason cradled in his lap, Raph took off down the street to the next part of the event. 

He made his way down the city streets towards the bank where they were going to stop a robbery. They were stopped at a red light when something caught Raph’s eye. He looked over to see Hun leaning against a wall, watching them.

The man’s face was stoic as he waved at him and as the light turned green, Hun turned and walked into the building. Raph was just grateful that he didn’t decide, at that moment, to start anything. 

As they neared the bank, the actors were running from it in a fit of panic. “Duty calls,” Raph said over the roar of the engine and Jason nodded. 

They pulled up to the building and Raph jumped from the bike, lifting Jason as he did. When the kid’s feet hit the ground he took off running into the building and Raph followed after. The fake robbers were easily defeated in an over dramatized fashion. 

Jason tied them up, with Raph’s help and left them for the cops to take them away. When Raph and Jason exited the building they were met by a crowd of applause. Jason threw his arms up and pumped them victoriously. 

There was a quick interview with some of the reporters and, like Raph Jason kept the helmet on throughout the whole process. 

When they returned to the hospital, all available staff was there to greet them with applause and cheers. As the crowd of hospital staff parted Robin rushed forward to scoop Jason up into her arms. 

“Mom,” Jason complained, “you’re embarrassing me. Not in front of Nightwatcher.”

“Oh,” Robin placed him back on the floor and smiled down at him. “I’m sorry.”

The media stayed back as the family headed back to Jason’s room. Raph followed them back up then helped Jason out of his suit. Kneeling down on the floor so that he would be level with Jason, Raph said, “They told me that you can keep it. That way you can wear it for Halloween.”

“Halloween’s five months away,” Jason pointed out as he stepped out of the suit. 

“Yeah, so?” Raph responded without thinking. 

Without missing a beat the boy looked at him and said, “I’ll be dead.”

Raph’s heart sank and Robin bolted from the room so Jason wouldn’t see her crying and her husband followed after. They were alone together with April and Raph didn’t know what to say. 

“It’s okay,” Jason placed his hand on Raph’s shoulder. “I’m not scared.”

“You’re a brave kid,” Raph managed to choke out. 

Jason tried to look through the visor on Raph’s helmet and squinted his eyes. “Can I see your face?”

Raph glanced up at April and she pulled the privacy curtain around then said, “I’ll watch the door.”

Just to be safe, Raph pressed a button on a device that would scramble any video equipment in the room. He looked at Jason, “You have to keep it a secret, you can’t tell anyone even if you live for another hundred years.”

Jason nodded, “I promise,” then Raph lifted the helmet off and Jason gasped. “Are you an alien?” His hands came up to touch Raph’s face and Raph didn’t flinch. 

“A mutant,” Raph chuckled. “I was a normal turtle for the first year or so of my life. Though, aliens were the cause of my mutation.”

“You’ve met aliens?” Jason’s eyes went round in wonder. 

Raph nodded, “I have, along with demons and monsters of all kinds.”

“That is so cool,” Jason smiled then hugged Raph. “Thank you for the best day of my life.”

“Yeah, sure,” Raph managed as he returned the hug.


	13. Chapter 13

Raphael returned to the compound, still in his full Nightwatcher gear and headed straight for his room. He pushed his way past other agents and didn’t even stop when Bishop tried to address him, “I saw Hun in the helmet’s camera….” Raph just pushed him out of the way as he passed. 

The surrounding agents stood in awkward silence, waiting for Bishop’s reaction. The intensely private man showed no outward emotion and simply followed Raph to their shared room. 

Raph stood seething in the middle of the room. He removed his helmet and threw it at Bishop as he entered the room. “You fucking asshole.”

Catching the helmet with ease, Bishop closed the door behind him. “I understand that something like that can be emotionally draining but don’t disrespect me in front of agents again.”

“Fuck you! He’s just a kid,” Raph fought to hold his tears. “On top of that, you tell me that he’s your great grandson right before sending me to him. Every time I looked at him, all I could see was you.”

Bishop placed the helmet on the bed as he made his way over to Raph. “You have always had a good heart.”

“Shut up,” Raph’s taut voice was scarcely above a whisper. 

Bishop cradled Raph’s cheek with his hand and thumbed away a tear. The intimate moment was interrupted when the phone started to ring. Bishop walked over to answer it, putting it on speaker. “What?”

“Sir,” the agent on the other end sounded nervous. “The helmet.”

Bishop looked at the bed, “Thank you,” then ended the call. 

Raph couldn’t help but laugh as Bishop picked the helmet up and place it in its soundproof case. “You had to equip it with a camera that couldn’t be turned off. That almost came back to bite you in the ass.”

“I set it up that way for your safety.” Bishop stated flatly. “No matter what, we will get a signal. I will always know where you are.”

“So then,” Raph cleared his throat, trying to regain composure. “You watched the whole thing?”

Bishop nodded, “I did. You handled everything… quite well.” He walked back over to Raph and helped him remove the rest of the suit. “You need to get some rest before your night patrol. I want you to check that building where you saw Hun today.”

Raph nodded and walked over to the bed as soon as he was undressed. Bishop removed his suit, down to his briefs and joined Raph. They faced each other on the bed, finding comfort in the other’s touch. They caressed each other’s cheeks then leaned in for gentle kisses. 

Overwhelmed by a sense of belonging, Raph started to relax. The anger he was feeling only moments ago vanished among the soft kisses. 

As Raph started to doze, Bishop quietly told him, “I ran that test while you were out. The shell is back under your pillow, unharmed.”

Raph’s eyes opened a little, “How did you know I kept it under my pillow?”

“I found it after you moved in,” Bishop said as a matter of fact. “I knew you would tell me about it in your own time so I left it alone.”

“What did you find out,” Raph’s voice was thick with sleep. 

“It was a perfect DNA match to yours,” Bishop answered. “He was your twin.”

Raph let out a shuddering sigh and croaked out, “Thank you.” A tear fell as he closed his eyes and was overcome with sleep.

……

Hun escorted Garbageman to the next storage facility full of untouched Triceraton technology. Garbageman looked around and figured that most of the items were nothing more than scrap but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t useful. 

“This will keep me busy for a while,” Garbageman grinned. 

Hun looked over at Garbageman then down at the armored, hover chair that the large man used for mobility. “I thought about your request to upgrade your chair.”

Garbageman looked up at Hun, keeping his features schooled so not to betray his emotions. He had put the request in months ago, saying that he needed the ability to defend himself if the Nightwatcher happened to attack. 

“Meet your quota with this room then you can upgrade your chair with the left over junk.”

It took all of Garbageman’s control not to growl in response. “I will be defenseless until then and it will take months to accomplish what you ask.”

“You could always leave,” Hun shot back. “But then, where would you go, back to the junkyard?”

Garbageman was starting to wonder if he really wanted to establish a relationship with his long lost twin. He sat, silent, glaring at Hun and digging his fingers into the seat to keep calm. “I will get to work then.” 

“That’s what I thought.” Hun grinned. “We have a client waiting for the new weapons. Make sure you have them operational with clear instructions on how to use them ready as soon as possible.”

“Of course,” Garbageman nodded. 

Hun turned to leave Garbageman to his work. “Besides,” he called back over his shoulder. “You have your special, unsuspecting weapon ready if Nightwatcher were to show up, right?”

“Right,” Garbageman answered but he wasn’t sure if Hun heard him or not. He set the device in an unassuming place then went about his work. Hun didn’t give him any aids so he had to do everything on his own. It was a good thing too. No one was there to monitor him and the modifications to his hover chair were coming along nicely. 

….

Raph watched as Hun exited the building and waited to make sure that he wasn’t coming back. He felt uneasy. “This could be a trap. Hun wanted me to see him earlier today.”

“I’m aware of that possibility,” Bishop’s answer came over the com. “Knowing it’s a trap lessens the probability of you triggering it. Take your time and see what’s inside.”

“Garbage is inside,” Raph shot back. “I can’t believe that fat bastard is still alive and that he’s the one who’s been uppin’ the number of weapons the Dragons have.”

“You should be able to enter on the south side,” Bishop said, disregarding Raph’s last comment. 

“Headin’ in now,” Raph grumbled and jumped from his roof top perch, down to the building below. Rolling to absorb the shock, Raph was back up on his feet and running in one fluid movement.

As promised, there was a stairwell on the south side of the roof. Raph set the helmet to scan to see if there were any wires alarming the door. When he saw that the door was clean, he pulled out his lock pick and made quick work of picking the lock. 

“This is too easy,” Raph mumbled as he opened the door. 

“Stay on your guard,” Bishop replied. 

Raph made his way down the flight of stairs, scanning the path in front of him as he went. He knew there was a team of agents watching all that he saw on a feed and that if they spotted something he missed, they would speak up. 

The sound of something heavy being shifted across the floor greeted him when he entered the large storage facility. He was taken aback by the sheer number of crates and pieces of scrap that filled the room. Sticking to the shadows, Raph made his way through the maze of scrap. 

He found Garbageman sorting through the items, using the mechanical arms of his chair. Raph crinkled his nose up in disgust. “I swear that man has gotten fatter since the last time I’d seen him. And I swear I can smell him through the suit.”

“Stay focused,” Bishop chided him. “Try to take him out before he knows you are there. If we get him, we put a huge dent in the Dragon’s supply chain.”

“Only if you drop him on it,” Raph joked.

“Enough,” Bishop sighed. “Save it for after the mission.”

“Yeah, okay,” Raph rolled his eyes. “You can be no fun sometimes, you know that.”

Raph moved closer to Garbageman. He prepared himself and waited for the opportunity to pounce. Moving fast, Raph closed in on his target and the next thing he knew he was flying through the air and into the wall.

One of Garbageman’s hover chair’s arms came out of nowhere and defended its rider. Gravely laughter filled the room as Garbageman turned to face Raph. “You think I’m defenseless? My chair is programed to detect movement and counter for it.”

Raph pulled himself off the floor and let his manriki fall into his hands. “I guess it’s time to test its reflexes.” 

Raph sent a manriki aiming for Garbageman’s head and the chair moved, an arm coming up to deflect Raph’s attack. Garbageman laughed again, pressing a button on his chair to send an arm out to strike Raph. 

Dodging the mechanical arm, Raph attacked with his second manriki but the chair managed to avoid it. “My chair is of greater technical genius than that mangy suit.”

“I hate braggarts,” Raph grumbled. 

The two continued to fight, moving around the room as they dodged the other’s attacks. Raph got the idea to distract the chair and grabbed the nearest object to him. The suit recognized the item and deemed it harmless. He chucked it at the chair, followed by his twin manriki. 

Garbageman’s face went wide with fear, “No!”

He moved to stop his chair’s reactions but he wasn’t quick enough. A mechanical arm collided with the cub shaped device and it exploded on contact.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh so much sadness.

His ears were ringing and his vision was filled with stars. It felt like he was falling but he could feel the floor under him. When he tried to get up, his head spun and the stars in his eyes flashed brighter. The disorientation was the least of his problems. 

As he started to come back to his senses, Raph could feel the weight of the debris pinning him down. Then, as the ringing in his ears faded the roar of the flames filled the void. He heard his name repeated and it took him a moment to realize that it was coming through his helmet. 

“I’m stuck,” he choked out. “I’m pinned and the place is on fire.”

“Agent Bishop’s on his way now,” the voice answered. “Back up will be there soon after.” Raph recognized the voice as Agent Zach Peterson. 

“Hey, Zach, I haven’t heard your voice in a while,” Raph said, trying to take his mind off his pain. “How’s the new addition?”

“The baby’s great,” he answered. “My wife needed to have a c-section, Troy was just too big to fit. He was over nine pounds.”

“Troy’s a fitting name then,” Raph quipped. It was starting to get harder to breathe. From his spot under the rubble, he could see that there was more impact damage than fire. The small flames still posed a danger but at least they were not yet all consuming. 

From his position Raph could saw someone step into view. Though he could only see the feet, he could tell that it wasn’t Bishop. He didn’t think that he would be grateful for being crushed under a pile of debris but at least it kept him hidden. 

As the man walked away from him, Raph could see that it was Hun. The large man had on a mask to protect him from the smoke. He walked up to the overturned hover chair and looked down. “Was there and accident?”

Raph couldn’t see past the large chair but when Garbageman reached for Hun, he could see the burned and bloodied hand. “Help me,” Garbageman rasped out.

Hun just continued to look down at the injured man then, without a word, turned to leave. 

“Don’t leave me,” Garbageman pleaded. 

Hun paused midstride and turned to look back down at him. “You have outlived your usefulness.”

Garbageman struggled to get up and moved himself enough so that Raph could see the damage caused by the blast. His face was covered in tiny cuts, burns, and streaks of blood. “I have done so much for you and your gang. I have value. You would have never figured out how these weapons worked without me.”

“This is true,” Hun nodded. “You did such a wonderful job with it and documented everything thoroughly. Now my men can, and have been replicating your work with ease.” He turned again and started to leave. “You can burn with the rest of this junk for all I care.”

“That’s your problem. You can’t see the value of what’s in front of you.” Garbageman screamed the words out in desperation. “This stuff has value. I have value…. I’m your brother.”

Hun turned to him again, “What?”

Garbageman coughed and wheezed as his body shook. “We were conjoined. Instead of paying a doctor to do the surgery, our father took us to a back ally butcher. He severed my spine. Haven’t you wondered where you got that scar on your back?”

“You’re the one father threw out?” Hun looked down at Garbageman in disgust. 

Garbageman was visibly shocked. “You knew what he did?”

Hun scoffed, “You were trash then and you’re trash now.”

“Don’t look down on me,” Garbageman hollered, trying to pull himself free. “I would have made the better son. You are nothing but a giant ape.”

Hun ignored the cries of his brother and turned to leave. He managed to take a few steps before he was knocked back by a solid kick from Bishop. Hun collided with an unstable pile of scrap and was buried. 

“Raph?” Bishop called out. 

“Here,” Raph called back. “I’m stuck under this junk.”

Bishop rushed over and started to dig Raph out. Looking up at Bishop Raph said, “What’re you doin? You’re not wearin any protective gear. Where’s the team?”

“I got here faster than they did,” Bishop answered. “Don’t worry about me.” The words barely had a chance to be spoken when a heavy chunk of debris was thrown at his head. Bishop managed to move out of the way, receiving nothing more than a scratch on the cheek. 

Hun stood among the pile of scrap, holding a second piece ready to be thrown.

“I wasn’t planning on killing you,” Bishop stated flatly, pulling out a gun, “but if you insist.” He shot several times at Hun but the large man was quick for his size and managed to evade them. As he dodged out of the way, Hun hurled another large piece of scrap. Bishop jumped out of the way as he continued to shoot at Hun. 

The flames where growing but the progress was slow; fortunately metal wasn’t good tender. There was more smoke than flame but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. 

Hun managed to bring the fight in close, twisting the gun from Bishop’s hand. The two fought each other, both men greater than what they appeared to be. 

Hun tried to get to the pile crushing Raph to help it in its progress but Bishop managed to keep him from it. 

“I noticed that you called Nightwatcher, ‘Raph’,” Hun’s gravelly voice was mumbled by the mask. “That red banded freak has been the costumed vigilantly all this time? I will take great pleasure in pulling the helmet off his corpse and leaving him revealed for the world to see. That is, of course, after I’ve taken care of you.”

Bishop didn’t waste time with posturing and boasting. He simply wanted to end the fight as quickly as possible and get to safety. He met Hun blow for blow but despite all the modifications he had done to his clones, the smoke was getting to him. 

Bishop’s hacking coughs had Raph doubling his efforts to get out from under the rubble but he was trapped. “Where’s the backup?” 

“They’re on their way” Zach answered. 

“Tell them to hurry,” Raph snapped back.

Garbageman was frantically working on his hover chair. “I’ll show you trash.” He managed to patch up some of the systems but it wasn’t enough to get him up off the ground. His chair whirled and whined as it tried to get airborne again then it sputtered and stopped. “I will not be so easily dismissed.”

With a look of malice in his eyes, he slammed his meaty hand down onto the control panel. Raph called out a warning but it came too late. The chair released a small rocket missile, aimed at the two fighting men. 

They noticed the projectile too late. It hit Hun and detonated, tearing through is sensitive flesh, the force of the blast sending Bishop flying back.

Raph was once again blinded and dazed. “John!” he called out, shaking his head to free it from the haze. When his vision cleared, he was met with the image of Bishop burned and motionless on the floor a few inches from him. Panic filled Raph, “John!”

The thundering sound of several footfalls filled the room as backup finally arrived. It was accompanied by the sound of Garbageman’s screams. The flames had finally reached him. 

The weight was lifted from Raph by several men while others collected Bishop and rushed him out of the building. More agents got to work putting the flames out but they weren’t in time to save Garbageman. Raph closed his eyes against the sight of him and let the agents free him. 

As the final weight was lifted from him, Raph could tell that his leg was in bad shape and guessed it to be broken. He was placed on a stretcher and rushed from the building. 

“Where’s Bishop?” he demanded as they loaded him into a van. 

“He’s already on his way to the compound,” one of the medical personnel answered. “He’s alive so Stockman is setting up to transfer him to a new clone.”

“How’s my leg?” Raph asked the one who was cutting his boot away. 

“Puncture wound and a minor fracture from the look of it,” the medic answered. “But I won’t know for sure until we get back to the compound.” He stuck Raph with a needle and injected something into his ankle that quickly killed the pain. 

“Reports are coming in,” another agent in the van spoke up. “Hun is alive and is in custody. They are taking him to the compound for medical treatment. Garbageman is dead.”

“Thanks,” Raph mumbled actually feeling slight twinge of sorrow for the jilted twin. 

When they got back to the compound they took Raph in for x-rays and stitched up his wound. He was happy to discover that he had only a simple sprain and that nothing was broken. The doctors splinted his ankle and told him to go to bed. 

As he made his way to his room, an agent informed him that the transfer was successful and that Bishop was okay. He thanked the agent and continued on his way. 

He opened the door to find Bishop standing in the middle of the room in nothing but his boxers. He turned at the sound of the door opening and watched as Raph hobbled his way to the bed. “This has been an emotionally stressful day,” Raph said, flopping down in the bed. “Garbageman was Hun’s twin and the fucker didn’t even care, treated him like trash. I would give anything to find out that my brother was still alive.”

“What are you doing?” Bishop asked.

Raph looked up at him and could read him well enough to see the concealed confusion in Bishop’s eyes. “I’m going to sleep. Like I said, it’s been a rough day. What’s with you?”

“Let me clarify,” Bishop said coldly. “Why are you in my room?”

“Our room,” Raph corrected. Sitting up, he lifted an eye ridge. “What’s going on?”

“Why would I be sharing my room with you?”

Raph’s heart skipped a beat and it took him a moment to find his words. “Because you asked me to, when you found out that I was Ashly reincarnated.”

“You?” Bishop practically spat out the word. 

“Yeah, me,” Raph snapped back. “What, you don’t remember?”

Bishop scoffed, shaking his head. “That last clone must have been defective. It had to have been for me to want to start a relationship with you.”

Raph got up off the bed, “I’m your fuckin soul mate.”

“I have no desire to be with you,” Bishop stated flatly. 

It was like a blow to the gut for Raph. He fought his tears as he nodded his head. “Fine, I’ll leave.” Limping around the room, he collected his things, including the music box and photo album. Bishop didn’t even flinch as Raph took those precious treasures. “You can handle the press release as to why the Nightwatcher is suddenly gone.”

Bishop didn’t respond, he just stood there and watched as Raph left. 

Raph made his way to the garage, intending on taking the bike. He passed the infirmary on his way and saw Hun, bandaged and attached to machines. His left arm was gone, torn to shreds by the missile, and amputated. Only a stub at the shoulder remained. 

Walking up to Hun, Raph looked down at his longtime foe. “It’s a cruel thing, fate. It gave you a second chance with your brother and you didn’t deserve it. He died and you lived, just like you thought had happened all those years ago. You are a heartless bastard and I hope Bishop makes you suffer the rest of your pathetic life.”

With that, Raph turned and left.


	15. Chapter 15

Raph had no choice but to wear his Nightwatcher gear, most of it anyway. The suit was damaged, part of the leg had been cut away and his boot was gone but it was better than riding where everyone could see the giant turtle. 

No one would think it was him. Ever since his return, there have been several replica suits made. Every other bike rider out on the streets of New York was wearing the Nightwatcher suit. 

While Raph double checked his bag, a female agent named Heather entered the garage. “You’re hurt and supposed to be in bed. You shouldn’t go out tonight.”

“I quit,” Raph said without looking up. “You guys get to handle the press and I’ll disappear. You got Hun so you don’t really need me anymore anyway. My brothers will keep the crime low. I just… need some time away.”

“What happened,” Heather asked, trying to catch Raph’s eye. 

“I told you,” Raph looked at her and managed to keep his emotions in check. “I quit.” Getting up on his bike, Raph pushed the ignition and shot from the garage before she had a chance to say anything more. 

Swerving through traffic, Raph made his way to the ally next to April and Casey’s apartment. He hid his bike then with effort, managed to jump up to the fire escape. When he reached their window, he hesitated for a moment before knocking. He didn’t want to interrupt anything and he wasn’t in the mood to answer any questions but he knew he had to do this.

Casey opened the window and looked at Raph. “What are you doing here? I heard about the fire on the news but they haven’t really said anything yet.”

“Bishop’s probably coming up with something now,” Raph said. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Casey stepped back as Raph crawled through the window. “What’s up?”

“Is April up?” Raph asked, clutching the bag at his side a little tighter. 

“Yeah,” Casey nodded. “I’ll go get her.” As he walked back to the bedroom he looked back at Raph and smiled. “We’ve got some news for you too.”

“Can’t wait to hear it,” Raph called back as he sat down at the table and started to take some of the items out of the bag. By the time he had everything in place, Casey returned with April. Raph looked up at her as she rubbed her eyes. “I didn’t wake you did I?”

She looked exhausted and stifled a yawn but she shook her head. “I haven’t been sleeping well, I wasn’t asleep. Just resting.” She looked at the items on the table. “Was there something you wanted to tell me?”

“Sit,” Raph requested. “I have something to show you and it’s not gonna be easy.”

She sat next to him and placed her hands on the table. “What is all this?”

“I don’t know how much you know about me and Bishop…,” Raph voice failed him and he had to take a deep steading breath. 

April shrugged, “Mikey told me that you believe that you are Bishop’s boyfriend reincarnated and that you two are together. He didn’t go into great detail.”

Raph nodded, “We were together.”

“You’re not anymore?” Casey asked, sitting at the table. “Did you guys have a fight?”

Raph shook his head, “That’s not what’s important. I’m here to give something to April.”

“Okay,” April’s eyes moved over the items on the table again. 

Pulling the music box forward, Raph opened it to show April what was inside. He was grateful that it hadn’t been wound in a while so the music didn’t play. April gasped as she looked into the box. 

“You can’t seriously be giving me this.” Her hands stayed up towards her chest as she looked at the ruby necklace inside. “That looks old and… valuable.”

Raph closed the box and pushed it closer to April. “It was meant to be yours. Your grandmother bought the music box, intending to give it to your mother and the necklace belonged to her grandmother.”

April’s hands wrapped around the box, “Then why do you have it?”

Raph grabbed the album and turned the pages. “This is gonna be the hard part for you to believe.” He flipped to a picture of Rose. “This was me in a past life. She was Bishop’s wife. She died delivering their only child.”

“That’s horrible,” April said, looking down at the picture. “She’s beautiful, but I still don’t understand.”

“I’m getting there,” Raph mumbled, turning the page. “Bishop didn’t want to be a single father so he gave his daughter to a good family. She grew up not knowing that she was adopted but he continued to monitor her life. Her name is Ruby.”

As Raph turned the pages, April’s eyes grew wider and her hands moved up to her mouth. “Bishop’s my grandfather,” she said in disbelief, “and you’re my grandmother reincarnated?”

“It’s a lot to take in, I know.” Raph sighed, unable to look her in the eyes. “I’m still getting used to the idea. I never believed it that stuff before.”

Casey let out a low whistle and leaned back in his chair. 

They sat in silence while they took it all in. April sat staring at nothing for a while then pulled the album closer. Clenching her jaw as she turned the pages of the album, April saw photos of her childhood. Raph wondered what was going through her mind. Did she feel violated, lied to, angry?

With a sigh she leaned back then looked at Raph and softly smiled. “I knew there was something special about you.” She reached out for Raph and he took her hand. There was love in her eyes as she gently squeezed his hand. “This is great news.” She grabbed the album and flipped back to the picture of Rose. “I like the name Rose.” Placing her hand on her stomach she smiled. “If this one’s a girl, that’s gonna be her name.”

Raph looked at April then Casey then back to April, “You’re pregnant?” He looked at Casey, “Is this the something you had to tell me?”

Casey nodded, “She’s ten weeks pregnant. We found out a couple of weeks ago but you’re the first to know.”

April chuckled, “I thought I had the flu or something. I’m just happy that I didn’t take anything more than Tylenol.” Her smile faded and her hands held her belly. “But now I’m worried. Jason’s illness is genetic. We don’t know if he got it from his father or from our family.”

“April…,” Raph placed his hand over hers. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“I have to wait a few more weeks then they will be able to run some tests.” April’s eyes looked distant. “If the tests are positive we’ll have to make a hard decision; terminate the pregnancy or go through with it, knowing that we’ll have only a few years before the symptoms start to show. To be honest, I don’t know which one is more selfish.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Raph moved his hand up to April’s chin and turned her head so that she was looking at him. “This baby could be perfectly fine. Don’t worry about it now. Wait until you find out what’s going on and if something is wrong, then you can worry about it.”

“I just…,” April stifled a sob. “I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“But getting yourself worked up over a possibility is just as bad,” Raph told her. “Hope isn’t a bad thing to have.”

April leaned over and wrapped her arms around Raph. “It feels good to finally tell someone. We didn’t want to tell anyone until we knew but Casey insisted we should tell someone and we decided on you.”

Raph returned the embrace. “I’ll always be here for you.”

They held each other for a while, taking comfort in their embrace. When they pulled apart, April noticed that Raph’s pants were tattered and that his ankle was wrapped. “Are you hurt?”

Raph followed her line of sight. “It’s fine.” 

The television was on in the next room and they heard the reporter announce that Nightwatcher was dead. The television could be seen from where they were and they all looked up to watch. 

“Are you okay?” April turned and placed her hand on Raph’s shoulder. “You can stay here tonight.”

Raph shook his head. “Thank you but no.” He looked up at the clock, “It’s getting late and there are a few more things I need to do.”

He started to stand but April attempted to hold him. “Stay here. You don’t have to be alone.”

“I won’t be.” With great care, Raph pulled out of her grip. “I just…. I have somewhere to go.”

Casey stood, “You don’t have to disappear again.”

Raph removed one of the pictures of Rose and left it with the music box then took the album. “I don’t want to face my family with this right now. Make sure they know I’m okay for me, okay?”

“Yeah, sure, Raph,” Casey answered as Raph crawled out of the window. “Just, promise me that you won’t stay gone for long.” As Casey spoke, April got up and rushed to the phone. 

Raph didn’t answer as he made his way down to the ally. When he landed, he was made painfully aware that the pain reliever was starting to fade. He limped his way to his bike and walked it out of the ally. 

Soon he was back on the road, headed to his next destination. He felt hallow as he sped towards the Hudson. It was time to end it. As his bike flew into the river Raph did a back flip off, landing on the water’s edge, making sure to land on his good leg. The vibrations from the impact aggravated his wounded leg and caused him to inhale sharply.

He placed his bag on the ground then quickly removed his gear, throwing it into the river to be lost with the bike. The Nightwatcher was dead and this time he was going to stay that way. 

Despite the pain, he ran to the shadows while clutching his bag full of his precious belongings. By the time he got to Mrs. Morrison’s place his whole leg hurt and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He did his special knock and it didn’t take long for the door to fly open. “The news said that you were dead.” Her voice was ragged and her face showed signs that she had been crying.

“I got here as quickly as I could,” Raph grunted as he limped into the apartment. “I needed you to know that I’m okay. I guess Bishop decided to make it have a permanent ending.”

“Why would he do that?” Mrs. Morrison asked. “What happened?”

Raph sat down hard on the sofa, “I don’t wanna talk about it right now.”

“Alright,” Mrs. Morrison nodded her head and walked over to the linen closet. “I’m just glad that you are alive. Do you need to use the phone? Your family must be beside themselves right now.” She grabbed an extra pillow and a blanket for Raph. By the time she got back to him, he was already asleep. 

She managed to get the pillow under his head and covered him with the blanket. After kissing him, softly on the head, she retired to her own room for the night. She knew that he would tell her what had happened in his own time; he always did.


	16. Chapter 16

Donnie dozed next to Leatherhead, curled up in his lover’s arms. He hated to admit it but he did sleep much easier with all of the equipment out of their room. Or was it because he got to sleep next to Leatherhead each night? 

The two of them spent all of their time together. They would work together in their lab, take an occasional break, and then head back to the lair for dinner and rest. Mikey had even started to refer to them as the married couple. 

Donnie was floating in the realm, somewhere between sleep and wakefulness when he was jerked awake by the sound of Leo barging into his room. Leo’s voice was full of panic, “Donnie, something’s happened! There are reports out saying that the Nightwatcher is dead. Father has seen it and he’s beside himself right now.”

Jumping to his feet, Donnie rushed over to his computer and connected to the agency’s systems. “Someone talk to me,” he breathed, staring at the screen. “Please pick up.”

His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for someone to answer his communications request. Leatherhead stood behind him with a reassuring hand on his shoulder and coaxed him to sit down. 

When someone finally picked up, the person on the other end looked surprised to see Donnie. “Um… Can I help you with something?”

Dumbfounded for a moment, Donnie managed to stammer out, “You just announced that my brother is dead on the news and you’re surprised that I called?”

Donnie didn’t think that the agent could look any more confused but he looked like he was just slapped in the face with a fish by a goat. “He isn’t there with you?”

“No!” Donnie said with more force than he had intended. “What’s going on?”

The agent leaned forward after looking around and whispered, “I’m not sure what’s going on. Only a few hours ago, I was sitting here talking to Agent Raphael, keeping him calm while we watched Agent Bishop fight Hun. Agent Raphael was trapped under some rubble and Bishop was there to save him. Agent Bishop was hurt bad enough that we had to do a clone transfer but Agent Raphael wasn’t hurt too badly. Next thing I know, Agent Raphael has quit….” The agent looked to the side and his face dropped, “And now he just dumped his bike into the Hudson. That is a sophisticated piece of equipment and he has dumped it into the Hudson.”

“Was he on the bike?” Donnie yelled as he leaned forward. 

The agent shook his head, “He jumped from the bike before it went into the water. I know this because he is wearing the helmet… and now that is in the water too. We’re still receiving a signal; he’s not in the water.”

Leatherhead left their room to tell the others the news and Donnie sat back in his chair to think. “I wonder if he going to come home now or go to Casey and April’s apartment.” He heard the phone ringing in the distance but didn’t get up. He knew that if it was information he needed, someone would tell him. 

“Yeah, he already went there,” the agent chimed in. “He visited with them before he dumped the bike. I heard more than I should have but he had the helmet with him and my job is to watch the feed coming in from the helmet. They offered for him to stay with them but he declined and left, saying that he had somewhere else to go and that wasn’t back to the lair.”

“Do you have any clue where he might be going?” Donnie asked, leaning forward again as pain and frustration started to build in Donny’s gut. 

Mikey poked his head through the door, “April’s on the phone. She said Raph was there but left. He has an injured ankle but is still alive.”

Donnie turned to him and nodded, “Thank you, Mikey.”

As Mikey disappeared back around the door the agent cleared his throat. “There is a chance that I may know where he is.”

Donnie stayed quiet and watched the agent, waiting for him to continue. 

“There is this old woman who he likes to go visit from time to time.” The agent looked back behind him again then leaned in. “He gives her most of his paychecks, loves her like a grandmother. I can send you her address and you can check there.”

“Yes, thank you,” Donnie sighed while he nodded, feeling relieved as he memorized the address. “Thank you.” 

“Good luck,” the agent smiled, ending the transmission. 

Donnie didn’t even bother to dress. He stepped out of his room and called out as he walked out of the lair, “I got a lead on Raph. I’ll be back.”

“Do you want us to come with you?” Leo called after him. 

“No,” Donnie answered as he rounded the corner and his voice echoed back into the lair as the door started to close. “It might be better if it’s just me, for now.”

He ran through the sewer tunnels, eager to get to Raph. 

…….

Raph felt that someone was in the room with him and he waited. He was patient enough; the right time to attack will present itself. The intruder was almost silent as he stalked into the apartment. If Raph was anyone else, the intruder would have gone undetected but he was a trained ninja. 

Raph smirked, he kind of felt sorry for the intruder because he was about to get a beating fueled by his pain. When the intruder got close enough, Raph reached out and grabbed him. “You’re gonna regret breaking in here, punk.” His eyes went wide and his anger faded when he looked into the chocolate eyes of his brother. “Donnie?”

“Hi, Raph,” Donnie grinned. 

“What the fuck?” Raph whispered harshly as he pushed Donnie away and looked towards Mrs. Morrison’s room. 

“The all-encompassing question,” Donnie quipped, sitting down as Raph sat up. “The news said you were dead and when I called the agency, I was told that you might be here. I got here before you did and watched you limp your way here then I waited until the old woman went to sleep.”

“April was supposed to call you and let you know that I was okay.” Raph leaned forward and rested his arms on his lap. “I don’t want to talk about anything.”

“I’m not gonna make you,” Donnie assured him. “I just wanted to see if you were alright.”

“I’m fine,” Raph grumbled, keeping his head down. “You can go.”

An awkward silence fell between them and Donnie shifted in his seat. “This is a nice apartment.”

Raph scoffed, “It’s plain because Mrs. M is blind.”

“Oh,” Donnie’s voice was just above a whisper. “That explains it. Still seems cozy though.” He looked over and placed his hand on Raph’s carapace. “I’m glad you have this place and that you have her.”

Looking away and burying his face in his arm, Raph mumbled, “I don’t wanna go home.”

“You don’t have to,” Donnie soothed. “I just came here to make sure you were okay and to let you know that I’m here for you.”

“I wish I didn’t know,” Raph choked out. Donnie was a bit taken aback for a moment and was about to say something when Raph continued. “I’m right back where I started, only in more pain. Why did he tell me? It would have been better if I had never known. I was happy. Why can’t I be happy?”

Anything Donnie was going to say fell away and he sat, unsure how to respond. 

“This is only a moment in time, it will pass. Who’s to say that you won’t find happiness?” Raph and Donnie looked up to see Mrs. Morrison standing just outside of her bedroom. She walked over and extended her hand towards Donnie. “I am Mrs. Morrison.”

“Donatello,” Don responded accepting her hand. 

Her face lit up, “It’s so nice to finally meet one of Raphael’s brothers. I’ve heard so much about you.”

With a light chuckle, Donnie said. “I know this will sound cliché but I’ve heard nothing about you. I learned about you though the agency.”

“Of course Raphael hasn’t said anything about me to you,” she said with a sweep of her hand as she headed into the kitchen. “How else would he see this place as his sanctuary?” 

“She seems nice,” Donnie grinned as he whispered, leaning towards Raph. 

Raph nodded, his eyes never leaving Mrs. Morrison. “She is.”

Mrs. Morrison returned with some cookies and milk then handed them to Donnie. “You must have heard about Nightwatcher’s death on the news.”

Donnie nodded then remembered that she was blind and said, “I did.” He took a bite of cookie and his enjoyment showed on his face. “These are really good.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Morrison smiled then turned to Raph. “I know you’re hurting and that you don’t like to show your softer side but keeping it bottled in will only hurt you more. You can get past this and find happiness again.”

“He’s my soul mate,” Raph rubbed his hands over his face. “How am I supposed to get past that?”

“It’s okay to continue to love him, even if you can’t have him.” She said, “I never stopped loving my late husband.”

“There is a difference between death and rejection,” Raph replied, his voice thick with emotion. 

Donnie hesitated for a moment then said, “He was just transferred to a new clone, right? I guess, in a way, the Bishop you loved did die.”

Leaning back on the sofa, Raph couldn’t hold back the choking sob that broke through. “Why’d you have to put it like that?”

“Maybe seeing it as a death will help you get over him,” Mrs. Morrison offered. “Mourn him like he had died.”

“That’s not fair,” Raph rasped and punched the sofa. “I’m gonna see him again. It’s bound to happen.”

“I know,” Mrs. Morrison soothed. “But you can’t view him as the same man.”

“I’m thinking that we should go out to the farm,” Donnie offered. “The weather is getting warmer and the time away from the city will do us all good.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Mrs. Morrison said. “It will help to take your mind off of things.”

“Will you come too,” Raph asked, taking her hand. “I want you there.” He shook his head and corrected himself, bringing her hand up to rest his forehead on the back of it. “I need someone there to who is strong willed and willing to step between me and my family when they start to get too stifling.” 

“I would love to finally meet you family and spend some time in the country.” She pulled her hand free from Raph’s and ran her hand along his face to pat his cheek. “But that will have to wait until the morning. I’m going back to bed. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Raph replied then looked at Don. “I’m gonna stay here tonight. You go home and tell the others and arrange everything. Make sure they know that I don’t want to talk about it with anyone.”

“Alright,” Donnie agreed and stood. He planted a kiss on Raph’s head, “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Raph mumbled as Donnie turned and left the way he came in.


	17. Chapter 17

Raph sat naked on the front porch swing and stared off at nothing. He had spent most of his time sitting there. They had been out at the farm for about a week and he still felt like he had been hit in the chest. 

Mrs. Morrison sat in a nearby rocker, enjoying the fresh air. She was welcomed by his family and made herself at home in the small farmhouse. She stayed near Raph but also kept her distance, leaving him alone when he requested it. She took her duties to keep him comfortable seriously. 

Fortunately, Raph’s family kept their distance and respected his desire for them to go through Mrs. Morrison first. 

April had the windows open and he could smell the savory dinner that Mikey was cooking. Mrs. Morison had baked a pie earlier, amazing everyone how well she managed given her condition. The scents beckoned him to go back in the house but the thought of socializing kept him outside. 

When dinner was ready, Raph ate it out on the porch. Their first night there his family tried to get him to go inside and eat at the table but Mrs. Morrison put her foot down and they gave up. 

There were times he could hear them talking about him but it didn’t bother him. Their words barely registered anyway and at least they weren’t talking to him. 

After dinner, Raph left his plate on an outside table for someone to collect and went for a walk. He didn’t go far before he was met by Donnie. “It’s hard to catch you without your body guard,” he quipped as he ran up to Raph. 

Sighing, Raph stopped and looked at Don, “Donnie, I….”

“I know,” Donnie interrupted him, holding up his hands. “You don’t want to talk and that’s not what I’m here for. I just want to walk with you.”

“Okay,” Raph mumbled and continued on his way. 

They walked in silence together, making their way towards the barn. Raph felt a tentative hand touch his and looked down to see Donnie reaching for him. Raph’s conflicting emotions had him unsure how to react but he soon found himself reaching back and grabbing Don’s hand. 

“Don’t read too much in to this,” Raph mumbled. He didn’t want to admit it but there was a level of comfort in the simple contact with his brother. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Donnie replied, moving closer to Raph. 

“I’m not ready,” Raph said, stopping by the barn. He leaned back against the wall, keeping his eyes down. 

Donnie moved in front of him, keeping a hold of his hand. “I’ll be here, when you are.”

Raph looked up into Donnie’s eyes. “I don’t think I will be able to love you, like I love him and I still don’t know if I would be able to share you with Leatherhead.”

It was Donnie’s turn to look down. “I understand. We don’t have to go beyond friends but if you want to… Leatherhead is okay with us being together, even if it is just friends with benefits.” He looked up at Raph. “I will admit though, I couldn’t love you like I love Leatherhead but I will do my best for you. I love you enough to do that.”

“Pity sex,” Raph looked up at the sky. 

“No,” Don held his hand tighter. “It would be more than that. I don’t pity you, Raph. I do love you.”

“I don’t know,” Raph heaved out a sigh. 

Placing his hand on Raph’s cheek, Donnie leaned in and kissed the other one. “You don’t have to make any decisions now. I just wanted you to know, for when you are ready. I know you are hurting. I would do anything to make that pain end.”

“I don’t want to use you,” Raph looked down at Don. 

“You won’t be,” Donnie smiled up at him. “You care for me too much.”

….

Mikey and Leo walked together, down to the spot by the river where they shared their first kiss over a year ago. Once they were hidden among the trees, Mikey brought his hand down for a nice solid smack across Leo’s butt. 

With a yelp, Leo turned and glared at Mikey. “Not here.”

“What?” Mikey flashed Leo one of his playful grins and held his hands up. “No one can see us.”

“This is not a secluded enough place,” Leo insisted, rubbing where Mikey struck him as he backed away. “Raph’s out for a walk and could be anywhere. We don’t need him coming up on us while we’re… acting out a fetish.”

With a chuckle and a grin, Mikey tried to slap Leo again but Leo grabbed his wrist. So, Mikey swung out with his other hand but Leo grabbed that one too. They both laughed as they playfully struggled with one another and Leo managed to get Mikey backed up against a tree. 

“What are you gonna do now?” Leo teased, still holding Mikey’s wrists. 

Mikey answered by leaning in and capturing Leo’s lips. Their kiss was just as playful but soon changed to one of passion. 

Leo’s knee came up to part Mikey’s legs and they ground against each other. Using the tree for support, Leo lifted Mikey’s feet off the ground and wrapped Mikey’s legs around his hips. Their tails sought each other out then twisted against each other. 

From his position, Mikey could see the road leading up to the house. He stopped kissing Leo and squinted his eyes to see through the trees. “How do you think Raph would react to seeing Bishop right now?”

“Not well. Why?” Leo lowered Mikey to the ground and turned to follow Mikey’s line of sight. He saw the black car as it made its way towards the farmhouse. Leo ground his teeth together as he fought to keep his anger in check. “What do you suppose he wants?”

Together they made their way out of the forest and made it back to the house by the time Bishop stepped out of the car. Bishop watched them as they approached and readied himself for the confrontation. 

Before Leo could say anything, April came storming out of the house with Casey close behind her. Her face was red with anger as she charged up to the man in the black suit. “You have a lot of nerve showing up here after everything you have done.”

Leo’s mouth dropped at the sight of April’s outburst. He had seen her mad before but never like that. She got up close to Bishop’s face but he stood his ground, looking down at her through his dark rimmed glasses. “Where is Raphael?”

“No,” she spat out then pushed him away. He staggered back, taking the blow but he regained his composure. “How dare you,” April’s voice was full of spite. “You crushed him.”

Bishop kept his clam, showing little to no emotion as he adjusted his suit. “Is that really the reason for all your anger, Mrs. Jones?”

Leo looked between them and wondered if there was something that he was missing. April’s cheeks flushed and she shook with anger. “You are a liar and a coward!”

“I did what I thought was best,” he responded, keeping his level flat. 

“What you thought was best?” April grunted in frustration and started to pace. Casey tried his best to calm her but she was too worked up and she pushed him away. “You didn’t think that I could handle it? I was friends with four mutant turtles and I traveled through time. You didn’t think I could believe that you….” Her voice choked off and her lip started to quiver. “You didn’t think that I would want to know something like that?”

“No,” Bishop answered and Leo swore that he heard emotion in his voice. “You were happy with your life. I didn’t think that you wanted to know that you had any connection to me. I was your enemy.”

“You put yourself in that position,” April shot back. She looked like she wanted to lunge at him but Casey held her back so she pointed her finger at Bishop. “You wanted to hurt the Turtles when they were on your side. You were just too self-absorbed to see it.”

“That’s enough,” Mrs. Morrison stepped out of the house. “It’s good for you to get all of that pent up frustrations out but you need to think about the baby and clam yourself.” She grabbed April and ushered her back towards the house. “Get inside, splash some water on your face and go lie down. I’ll handle him.”

“You’re in for it now,” April snapped as Casey took her into the house. “She won’t let you near Raph.”

Mrs. Morrison waited until April was in the house before addressing Bishop. “Hello, John. Why are you here?”

Bishop’s gravelly voice was low but it still carried. “I want to explain things to him.”

“Explain what?” she shrugged her shoulders. “Why it is that you were disgusted that you two ever shared a bed?”

“No,” Bishop yelled and his voice was full of pain. Leo had never heard any kind of emotion out of the man aside form anger. “Please. I know I hurt him but I want a chance to explain to him what happened.”

“He’s out walking with Donatello. They should be by the barn by now,” Leatherhead stepped out from around the house. “He and I have decided to include Raphael in our relationship. Donnie is… making the offer now.”

Bishop looked around, located the barn and then looked back at Leatherhead. “Raphael has no interest in you.”

“No,” Leatherhead agreed as he walked up to Bishop. His eyes showed the building fury within him. “But he loves Donnie and we respect each other enough that I believe that we can settle into a good relationship.”

“He lusted for Donnie,” Bishop corrected but his voice held a slight tremble. “He’s my soul mate.”

“You rejected him, humiliated him,” Leatherhead roared, rearing up to his full height. “He has been nothing but a shell this last week and now that Donnie has finally managed to get Raph to open up, you’re here to shut him down again.”

“Enough of this,” Bishop stepped around Leatherhead and walked away from them all. “I’m going to find him.”

Leatherhead moved to stop Bishop but to everyone’s surprise, Mikey ran up and stopped Leatherhead. “Let him go.”

Leatherhead looked down at Mikey and gestured out towards Bishop as he retreaded towards the barn. “You would let him go and cause your brother more heartbreak?”

Mikey shook his head, “Didn’t you hear him, the way he sounded? He wants to make this right. I say we give him a chance.”

Leo walked over to his mate and took him by the hand. “Mikey?”

“Didn’t you hear his pain, Leo?” Mikey’s eyes were pleading and he looked to be on the verge of tears. “He doesn’t want to lose Raph.”

“I hope you’re right,” Leo sighed as he watched Bishop hurry towards the barn. 

….

Raph cupped Donnie’s face in his hand and slid his thumb across his cheek. The scars were faded but they were still there. Donnie leaned into his touch and a warm smile parted his lips. “This can work,” Donnie whispered, covering Raph’s hand with his own. 

“Maybe,” Raph heard himself say as he leaned forward. He didn’t want to be alone. Their lips brushed against each other and then Raph pulled back. “But not right now.”

“I understand,” Donnie said and there wasn’t anything but kindness in those words. No disappointment or relief, just acceptance. 

“Raph,” Bishop’s voice called out to him and he froze. 

Donnie, however, turned to face Bishop, ready to attack but Raph grabbed his arm and stopped him. “What do you want?” Raph tried to sound uncaring but his voice broke. 

The rest of the family had followed Bishop to the barn and they looked ready to take him away if Raph wanted it. 

“Can we talk?” Bishop looked around at the gathering crowd then added, “Alone?”

Raph kept his eyes on the ground, partially hidden by Donnie. He knew that if he looked up at Bishop he would lose all control. “Say what you need to say here, then leave.”

“You know I don’t like to make a spectacle of myself,” Bishop said stepping forward to get to Raph but Don stepped in his way. 

“Too bad,” Donnie snapped. 

“There are things you need to understand,” Bishop tried to explain, ignoring Donnie. “There is something that I need to tell you that I have never told anyone.”

Donnie didn’t move from his spot and Raph remained leaning against the barn with his hand on Donnie’s arm and his eyes down. Everyone remained silent and unmoving. 

With a grunt of frustration Bishop practically yelled. “I don’t remember much after my conscious is transferred to a new clone and I feel nothing emotionally. I have learned to fake it over the years because I remember enough to get by. It takes a while for it all to come back to me. I never told anyone this, ever. Not even your past incarnations. I have always had them visit family during the time of my scheduled transfers or I went on a business trip. This one wasn’t scheduled so I didn’t have time to send you away.”

They all remained silent as they waited to see how Raph would react. He mulled Bishop’s words over in his head and then, without looking up, shouted. “You stupid fuck!”


	18. Chapter 18

Donnie felt Raph’s hand tighten on his arm then let go. Raph’s outburst was followed by silence; everyone gathered wanted to see what he did next. Bishop’s explanation made sense but that didn’t excuse his actions. He should have told Raph about the fact that he temporarily lost his memory after a transfer. 

The way Raph was breathing was a good indicator that he was trying to keep his temper in check. Donnie turned to face him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Pushing past Donnie, Raph charged towards Bishop and punched. He didn’t hold back, putting all of his anger into the blow. 

Bishop didn’t move. He took the hit that was so hard his glasses flew from his face as his head snapped to the side. 

Raph’s eyes went wide and he reached out to catch Bishop as he fell. Dropping to his knees, Raph cradled Bishop in his lap. “I didn’t think you’d let me hit you. I thought you’d block or duck. Why’d you let me hit you?” Raph rambled out as tears filled his eyes. “You stupid ass.”

“To be honest,” Bishop mumbled and brought his hand up to test his jaw. “I didn’t think you would hit me so hard. I wanted to let you get it out of your system so we could talk. I know how temperamental you can be.”

“I wouldn’t have hit you so hard if I knew you were gonna just stand there like a fucking idiot,” Raph shot back, his voice choking off at the end. “I’m mad at you but not enough to wanna knock you senseless.”

“I love you too, Raph,” Bishop replied, still a little groggy. 

“Maybe we should leave and let the two of you talk in private,” Donnie offered, stepping forward. “That is, of course, if you don’t want me to check on you before I go.” He didn’t really want to leave them alone. Part of him wanted to stand there and give Bishop a piece of his mind but, in the end, it was up to Raph. 

“I think I’m alright,” Bishop said, sitting up with his hand on his head. “I’m going to have a massive headache later.”

‘Good. You deserve it,’ Donnie thought to himself before saying. “There are pain killers in the house, when you need it.” He tried his hardest to sound neutral but by the way Raph looked at him, it was apparent that his anger seeped into his voice. 

“That is if April is willing to let you have it,” Mikey added in a teasing manner. “I really want to know what all that was about.”

“Now’s not the time,” Leo chided him, pulling Mikey away back toward the house. 

“What?” Mikey whined. “You saw how pissed April was when she saw him. He’ll be lucky to get a glass of toilet water.”

Donnie followed Leo and Mikey back to the house, “April was mad and I missed it?”

“She was terrifying, dude,” Mikey said in awe, looking over his shoulder. “She looked ready to rip Bishop’s head off and, for a moment, I was hoping she would.”

Leatherhead caught up to them and placed a hand on Donnie’s shoulder, “Are you alright?”

Donnie shrugged, “I just want Raph to be happy, either with us or with Bishop. He’s been through enough in life.”

“We will be here for him, no matter what happens,” Leatherhead stated then nuzzled Donnie’s neck. “And support any decision he makes.”

“I love you,” Donnie said with a satisfied sigh, leaning into his lover. 

When they reached the house, April was on the porch, pacing back and forth. Casey kept trying to get her to sit but she just waved him off. Angry was an understatement for the way she was acting. She was fuming. She rushed to the edge of the porch as they approached. “What happened? Where’s Raph?”

“He’s gonna talk things out with Bishop,” Leo answered as he walked up the steps, instinctively stepping to avoid the squeak in the last step. Mikey didn’t care so much and the wood groaned under his weight as he rushed up to April. 

“You missed it,” Mikey blurted out before April could respond to Leo. “Raph got so mad that he punched Bishop, in the face. His glasses went flying.” Mikey’s animated way of taking had Leo rearing back to avoid being hit. Leo grabbed Mikey’s wrist as it whizzed past his face then smacked Mikey on the back of his head. 

“Hey,” Mikey protested and got his revenge by smacking Leo’s butt as the older turtle walked by. The look of surprised indignation on Leo’s face had Donnie’s biting back a laugh. 

“Good,” April huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, not even noticing the exchange. “He deserved it.” Shaking her head, she looked at Donnie. “If he was so mad, why is he talking to Bishop now?”

“Apparently, Bishop suffers temporary memory loss after he is transferred to a new clone and that was the reason he broke it off with Raph,” Donnie explained, coaxing April to the swing to sit. “Calm yourself.”

“He’s still an ass,” April huffed, finally sitting down. “And a coward.”

“Why are you getting so worked up over this?” Leo asked, taking April’s hand into his. “I mean, we’re all upset that he hurt Raph but you seem to have a personal grudge.”

With a groan, April leaned back and looked up at the peeling paint on the awning. “When Raph came to see us that night, he told me that Bishop is my grandfather and that he gave my mother up for adoption.”

“He’s your grandfather?” Donnie repeated, just to clarify and looked at Casey. When his exhausted friend nodded, Donnie asked April, “Does that mean…?”

“Raph’s my grandmother, reincarnated,” she nodded, her voice monotone. “I’m still wrapping my head around that one.”

Mikey placed his hands on either side of his head and then popped them away, spreading his fingers, while he made an exploding sound. He then turned and walked into the house, “I’m gonna have a beer.”

…..

Raph walked over and looked down at Bishop’s glasses. “There broken. Not that you really need them.”

“That would explain why the side of my nose is bleeding,” Bishop quipped, still sitting, slumped over, on the ground as he waited for his head to stop spinning. He pulled out a handkerchief and pressed against his face. “I think you gave me a concussion. I don’t… think I can stand.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to take it,” Raph said, exasperated, throwing his hands out and turning to look at Bishop. “The plan was to get you to duck then punch you in the gut.”

“That would have been preferable,” Bishop said in a flat tone. 

“Do you wanna go back to the house, let Donnie look you over?” Raph offered, squatting down next to Bishop. There was a large, purple bruise starting to form along Bishop’s jaw. 

A slight nod was the only answer Bishop was able to manage. Raph helped him stand, being careful not to jostle him too much, then led him back to the house. By the time they made it to the front porch, Bishop was leaning heavily on Raph. 

His brothers rushed out to help bring Bishop into the house and they laid him on Raph’s bed. Panic started to fill Raph and he paced back and forth while Donnie looked Bishop over. “I killed him. I hit him so hard that he’s gonna die. We’re too far from the city; we would never get there in time for him to be transferred into a new body.”

“Calm down, Raph,” Donnie soothed, trying to put an end to Raph’s rambling. “It’s just a concussion. He’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” Raph’s voice broke, on the verge of tears. 

Donnie nodded, “I am. Just make sure he stays conscious.” 

“Okay,” Raph nodded, wringing his hands together.

“April’s looking for the Tylenol. Someone will be up in a little bit with it,” Donnie said as he headed for the door. 

“Thank you,” Bishop mumbled as Donnie left.

Raph stood with his back turned to Bishop, watching as Donnie disappeared into the hall then said, “I hate you right now.”

“I know,” Bishop said with a slight nod of his head. “You have every reason to. I just hope you can understand that I didn’t mean to drive you away.”

“You told the media that Nightwatcher was dead,” Raph pointed out as he started to pace, still not looking at Bishop. “You put a permanent end to Nightwatcher. You’re such a dumb ass.”

“I was confused,” Bishop swallowed hard and it was apparent that he was in a lot of pain. 

Raph was a torrent of conflicting emotions. Part of him wanted to walk out of the room and be done with Bishop. Then there was his desire to beat him some more. It was a small part but it was screaming the loudest to be heard. The rest of him wanted to just get on the bed and hold Bishop until he was better. 

In the end, he climbed into the bed with Bishop. “I’m still mad at you.” He curled up around Bishop, burying his beak in the nape of Bishop’s neck. Closing his eyes, he breathed in Bishop’s scent. There was a slight difference, a newness to him, but it was familiar enough. 

“Okay,” Bishop managed a half smile. “As long as you’re still here.”

“Asshole,” Raph mumbled, ghosting his fingers over Bishop’s swelling jaw. 

“You want the last word, don’t you,” Bishop remarked, and closed his eyes as he shifted so that he was turned a little more towards Raph. 

“Shut up,” Raph snapped back. 

Bishop let out a weak chuckle, “What if I don’t let you?”

Lifting his head to look down at Bishop, Raph grunted out, “Fuck you.” Bishop’s eyes opened and before he could say anything more, Raph pressed in for a soft but deep kiss. The taste of blood in Bishop’s mouth only fueled Raph’s guilt for hitting him so hard and his anger at Bishop for letting him. 

“That… must have taken a lot of practice to master,” Mikey said as he entered the room carrying a bottle of pills and a glass of water, causing Raph’s head to snap up. Mikey laughed, “Your mouths don’t seem to fit together well. I mean, how does your big ass tongue fit in his small mouth? And, isn’t your beak hard and rough next to his lips?”

“Mikey,” Raph glared at his brother, looking ready to pounce. 

“Dude,” Mikey held his hands up in defense. “The door was wide open. Trust me, if I could have avoided seeing that I would have. I brought the pain pills for Bishop and some water to wash them down.” He placed the items on the bedside table and winked at Bishop. “Don’t worry. I filled the glass myself, from the tap.”


	19. Chapter 19

Raph kept Bishop awake, talking through what they planned to do next, until Donnie said that it was okay for him to sleep. Even though Bishop insisted that he was fine, Raph wouldn’t let him get up until he at least tried to get a few hours of sleep. He stayed with Bishop until after he had fallen asleep then decided to go on a walk to clear his head. 

He came across Leo and Mikey, walking together by the forest’s edge. By the size of Mikey’s grin and the musk the pair gave off, it was no secret what they had just finished doing. 

Before Raph could excuse himself from them, Mikey pointed back into the trees, drawing attention to Donnie and Leatherhead. He whooped and hollered at the couple, telling them that they were in clear view of everyone then teased, “Get a room.” 

The pair looked unamused at Mikey’s antics. Donnie moved to say something but Leatherhead pulled him back into the river and they disappeared under the water. After sharing a good laugh with his brothers, Raph made his way to the barn. 

He needed time alone to process all the new information. His mind raced with everything that had happened and the possibilities of the future. He decided to run through a few katas, making sure to take it easy on his wounded ankle and tried to focus his thoughts. 

He was still a little mad at Bishop and at the same time relieved that it was a simple issue of miscommunication. Part of him was embarrassed that Bishop walked up on him about to kiss Don, though Bishop had assured him that he wasn’t upset by it. Raph hated being so emotional and how complicated things had become. 

Sitting against the wall, Raph watched as the sun’s rays made their way across the room until it was almost too dark to see. As he stood, the door to the barn opened and Casey walked in. Another rush of guilt came over Raph as he realized that he had been neglecting his best friend. 

“Hey,” Raph mumbled with a slight nod of the head. 

“Hey,” Casey replied then gestured over his shoulder. “Dinner’s almost ready and the women are getting worried about you.”

“I was actually heading back to the house now,” Raph wrung his hands together. He hadn’t been neglecting his friend, he was avoiding him. He was afraid how his only friend would react to him being gay. 

It was easier to let the friendship fade than to have it fall apart. He watched Casey for any indication of what he was thinking but it was hard to see anything in the orange light of the setting sun. 

“Alright,” Casey turned to leave but stopped in the doorway and turned back Raph. “You’re a really shitty friend. You know that?”

“Yeah,” Raph let his head drop. “Sorry about that.” He wasn’t even going to argue. Casey was right. 

“You didn’t think you could’ve come to me with any of this?” There was pain in his voice as he gestured to himself. Stepping forward as he spoke, Casey approached Raph. “You vanish and no one would tell us why, then I see the Nightwatcher on the news and find out you’re working for Bishop, Donnie’s hurt in an explosion and nearly dies, and the only time I see you is when you come over to drop a bomb in April’s lap about Bishop being her grandfather, and then you disappear again.

“On top of all that, you haven’t really said anything to her since we got here,” Casey’s pain was turning into anger as the volume of his voice increased. “She’s under so much stress right now and that can’t be good for the baby. I get that you’re upset but we’re your friends and we want you to talk to us.”

“Casey, I’m gay,” Raph took a step back, trying to keep himself under control but he couldn’t hide the fear in his voice.

“Yeah, I figured as much when I found out that you were fucking Bishop,” Casey snapped back. “Something I learned from Mikey, by the way.”

“I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Of you hating me,” Raph yelled. “There’s a reason Donnie didn’t tell anyone about his relationship with Leatherhead,” Raph held up two fingers, “for two years. Mikey and Leo hid theirs for a while too but Leo has too much honor to keep something from Splinter for too long.”

Casey stood slack jawed for a moment before saying, “You really thought I would hate you for being gay? Have you ever really known me?”

“I never got the chance to see you around a gay man before.” Raph shrugged, “I didn’t know what you would think. Things happened and time got away from me and the more time that passed the harder it was to call you.”

“You’re my best friend, Raph,” Casey said, leaving no room for doubt. “If you’re happy then I’m happy for you. I don’t care who you’re with, so long as it’s… well, legal.”

Raph couldn’t help but laugh, “Thanks.” His word was choked off as he was pulled into a tight hug. 

“I love you like a brother, man.” Casey pounded on Raph’s carapace. “Don’t you forget that.”

Raph returned the embrace, “Yeah, me too.”

By the time they pulled apart, the sun was down. The dim light of the half moon was all the light they had to make their way out of the barn and back to the house. The front porch light had a swarm of bugs swirling around it, making a slight ticking sound each time one of them collided with the glass cover. 

Raph paused at the foot of the steps and Casey teased Raph over his fear of bugs. Raph came back with a snarky response and the pair laughed as they hurried through the front door to avoid as many bugs as possible. For the first time since coming out to the farm, Raph headed for the kitchen to eat dinner with his family. 

…..

April sent Casey out to get Raph for dinner, knowing that there were things that the pair needed to talk about. She hoped it would give them the opportunity to work out whatever had come between them. 

Knowing she would have some time before they returned, April made up a plate of food and decided that she had her own issues to work through. She made her way upstairs and knocked gently on the door, looking in to see if Bishop was awake. 

His eyes opened as he turned his head to face the door. His smile was crooked due to the swelling on his jaw but it looked to be genuine, “Hello, April.”

“Oh so, you’re addressing me by my first name now,” April placed the plate of food on the bed side table. She didn’t mean to snap or for the words to come out as harsh as they did but she was under a lot of stress and it was getting to her. Trying her best to soften her tone she added, “I brought you some dinner.” 

Without another word, she turned to leave but paused when Bishop spoke. “Your baby will be fine,” he rasped out as he sat up in bed. She turned in time to see him grab the plate of food and set it in his lap. “This smells wonderful. Did you make it or is this Mrs. Morrison’s work?”

“You can’t do that,” April spun around to face him, arms rising up then falling back to her sides. “You can’t say that the baby’s gonna be fine then change the subject to food.”

“What more do you want me to say?” Bishop kept his eyes down as he cut himself a piece of the smothered steak. “Jason’s genetic illness was passed down from his father. You and your sister are not carriers and neither is Mr. Jones. So as far as that particular illness goes, your child will not have it.” As he finished speaking, he brought the morsel to his mouth and took the bite. He savored it for a moment before tucking it in his cheek to speak. “This is delicious.”

“Thank you,” April said so softly that she wasn’t sure if Bishop had heard her. 

“So you made this,” Bishop looked up at her and April sighed in mild frustration. 

“No! Mrs. Morrison made it. You know good and well what I was saying thank you for.” Her slight burst of anger faded and she rested her hands on her stomach. “I was so worried and I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

“I know. I saw the footage from Raphael’s helmet,” he stated flatly and April felt her temper rise again but she managed to keep it in check. 

She glared down at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “You are a pompous jerk.” 

“So I’ve been told,” he stated before taking another bite. He hummed in delight as he chewed his food. “I really need to hire better cooks. Do you think Mrs. Morrison will come and work in my kitchen?”

“You’ll have to ask her,” April waved it off. Taking a deep breath, she sat on the foot of the bed and wrung her hands a little before asking, “Is there nothing you can do for Jason?”

Bishop placed his utensils down on his plate and looked her in the eyes. “His illness is part of his genetic makeup. I can enhance the genetics of a clone but if I were to remove anything, like the illness, his soul would not recognize the new body and would be lost. If it did manage to take hold, he would end up like Stockman, back when he tried to clone himself.”

“I understand,” April nodded and stifled a sob. “Thank you again, for setting my mind at ease.”

Bishop nodded his head, “I wish there was more I could do.” 

April couldn’t believe it but she swore that she heard some genuine emotion in his voice. Based on what she saw of that scrap book, Bishop kept close tabs on her family. So even though he wasn’t part of their lives, he was invested in them. “Maybe you’re not as cold hearted as you appear to be.”

“He’s not,” Raph said as he entered the room. “You just have to get past the Agent to get to know the man. Though, the man can royally fuck up sometimes.” He gestured over his shoulder, “Everyone is waiting for you so they can start eating. If you don’t hurry Mikey’s gonna start and there won’t be anything left.”

April giggled as she stood and walked over to Raph. “Everything okay between you and Casey?”

“Yeah,” Raph nodded with a slight smile. “We worked things out.”

“Good,” April nodded, hating how awkward things had become but glad that they were getting better. “I better get back downstairs then.”

“I’ll be down in a minute,” Raph said, sliding his fingers down her arm as she passed. 

“Okay,” she smiled back at him before heading down the hall. 

Raph didn’t linger long with Bishop and by the time April had washed up for dinner, Raph was heading down the stairs to join the others at the table. He had a satisfied smile on his face that led April to wonder what he had done with Bishop in that short period of time. 

After giving everyone time to eat, April told the others what Bishop had told her and the look of relief on Casey’s face made her heart melt. Tears filled his eyes and he was so overwhelmed he had to rest his head on his hand. April had no idea how worried Casey had been until that moment. The big lug had done such a good job of hiding his worry from her. Either that, or April had been so wrapped up in her own worry that she didn’t see his. 

Either way, it was done. At least the worst of it was over and she was sure they would be able to find other things to worry about. They leaned into each other and touched their foreheads together. A weight had been lifted from them and they were finally able to be happy about the life they had created.


	20. Chapter 20

“What do we do now?” Raph asked Bishop as they walked together. The bruise on Bishop’s chin was starting to fade to nothing more than a yellow mark, even though it had only been less than twenty four hours. Whatever enhancements he had made to himself included an accelerated healing factor. 

“Do you not plan on coming back with me?” Bishop stopped, causing Raph to stop as well. 

“I do want to be with you but I can’t stay locked up in the compound.” The two looked at each other and Raph sighed. “What would I do? You killed the Nightwatcher.” He leaned back against a tree and crossed his arms over his plastron. “You’re such an asshole.”

“There are ways around that,” Bishop said, standing in front of Raph. He ran his hand along Raph’s cheek as he spoke and managed to calm him. “Whatever happens, I want you back at the compound with me.”

“How would you get around the Nightwatcher’s death?” Raph said, trying to sound irritated but it came out sounding more desperate. He liked being the Nightwatcher, protecting the city without having to hide in the shadows. Even though he was hidden behind the suit, he was finally getting recognition and a sense of freedom beyond anything he had had before.

“I’ll think of something,” Bishop assured him and leaned in for a gentle kiss. 

Raph’s eyes flitted closed as he pushed in for another, the soft touch of Bishop’s lips making everything else seem trivial at that moment. As long as they were together, he didn’t care about what they did. 

“We can figure all of that out later,” Bishop grabbed Raph by the hand and led him deeper into the foliage.

They found a clearing in a part of the forest where the trees were dense enough to block out most of the midday sun. The ground was covered with damp leaves and mud. Bishop guided Raph to the ground then got on top of him, straddling his hips. Raph smiled up at him, “You’re gonna get your suit all dirty.”

“Not if I’m careful,” Bishop replied, running his hands down Raph’s chest. 

“No,” Raph’s smile grew. “You’re gonna get dirty.” Before Bishop could react, Raph reached up and held on to Bishop as he rolled. Bishop was on his back, on the leaf covered ground with Raph looming over him. “See.”

“Why do you do this to me?” Bishop tried to sound irritated but there was humor in his voice. His agent’s mask faltered with Raph. 

“Because it’s fun to see you squirm.” Raph stopped all other conversation with a deep kiss. When they pulled apart to take a breath, Raph reached down and pulled on Bishop’s belt. “Let’s break in this new body of yours.”

….

“I have a great idea. I can be the new Nightwatcher.” Mikey threw up his hand, standing so fast that the chair clattered to the floor. 

They had been discussing how they would bring Nightwatcher back in a believable way. Mikey would rather get paid to be a super hero over a party clown any day. It’s like a dream come true for him. 

“The point is to get me back as the Nightwatcher,” Raph groaned. 

“Yeah, but you’re dead. I can step in as your replacement.”

“Uh, Mikey,” Donnie interjected. “Raph stayed in the suit so he can pose as his own replacement and no one would know.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Leo added. 

“Me as the Nightwatcher?” Mikey looked down at his mate hoping for support in his dream. 

“No,” Leo answered and Mikey groaned in disappointment. Leo looked at Bishop. “You can simply say that someone had stepped up to take up the mantle of the Nightwatcher. No one will know that it’s the same guy.”

“That might work,” Bishop nodded his head in thought.

“Do you think that maybe we can take turns being the Nightwatcher then,” Mikey begged. “No one will know.”

Leo rolled his eyes and glared up at Mikey, “You’re not gonna let it drop are you?” 

“Fine,” Mikey’s face took on a sullen expression as he turned to pick up his chair. He plopped down in it, defeated, and rested his chin on the table with his arms outstretched. “I’ll stop.” He let his mind wander, not caring about how the rest of the conversation was going. 

After a while, Raph flicked his fingers, snapping Mikey out of his brooding thoughts. “Are you listening?” Raph flashed him a smile when he looked up.

“No,” Mikey admitted, not even attempting to hide the fact that he stopped paying attention. “I’m too busy thinking about the birthday parties I’m gonna have to suffer through when we get back to New York.”

Leo leaned down and placed his chin on Mikey’s arm with his mouth close to Mikey’s ear slit. “Sit up and listen. I think you’re gonna like what Bishop has to say.”

Leo pulled back as Mikey sat up and looked him in the eyes. Mikey looked up at Bishop then back at Leo, “Okay. What did I miss?”

……

Bishop stood at a podium, in front of a group of reporters. Cameras and microphones were pointed at him as they all waited for what it was he had to say. He hated being in the spotlight. 

“As you all know,” Bishop started and the crowd went silent, the only other sound was that of cameras flashing. “Nightwatcher died in the line of duty, saving our city from a notorious weapons dealer and his accomplice, just a few short weeks ago. Out of respect for his family, his identity will never be revealed. 

“Though we suffer the loss of a great hero, four more have stepped forward to take his place.” He paused, mostly because he was bombarded with question from the press. Holding up his hands, he waited for the clamor to die down before he continued. 

“These are skilled men in specially engineered suits made to combat the alien technology. They have trained together and are willing to fight to protect us from any who dare to try and take Hun’s place. There is still a threat out there so long as there is alien technology in the hand of those who wish to do us harm.

“These four heroes are willing to fight against those enemies and assist the NYPD in protecting our fair city. I present to you the Nightwatchers,” Bishop stepped back from the podium as the four Turtles stepped out, each wearing a different variation of the Nightwatcher suit, accented with their individual colors. The crowd erupted with applause and questions from the press. Bishop approached the podium again and added, “For their safety and the safety of their families, their identities will not be revealed.”

Raph glanced over at Mikey and he knew that his brother was grinning under his helmet. He couldn’t blame him. It was thrilling to finally be able to present themselves to the people, even if it was under a guise. 

They stood as pictures were taken and the reporters shouted their questions over the roar of the crowd.

As fun as it was, Raph was eager for it all to end so that they could get to work. Even though Hun was a main player in the weapons trade, he knew that there would be others who would set up to take his place. Until each piece of Triceraton technology was off the streets, they would not rest. 

……..

April sat with Jason in his hospital room. They watched the press conference together and April muted it as Bishop started to answer some of the reporters’ questions. 

She pointed up to the screen, “You see the one on the far right, the one with the red accents?”

“Yeah,” Jason nodded. 

“That one is Raphael,” April told him. “It’s a long story why it had all worked out this way but he wanted you to know that he is alive and well. The other three are his brothers. They are also mutant turtles.”

“Do you think I will be able to meet them?” Jason looked up at her, with hope in his tired eyes. 

“We might be able to arrange something,” April smiled and kissed the top of his head. 

……

After much debate, it had been decided that they all move into the compound. That way they could all stay together and be ready to go out whenever they were needed. Leatherhead worked with Stockman and the rest of the science team while the Turtles did their nightly patrols. 

Each couple had a room to themselves and Splinter was able to enjoy his retirement in relative luxury. He had his own set of rooms, including a small kitchen where the small family would spend some of their time together.

They continued to train together along with select members of their team. Splinter would observe while Leo led, offering advice when it was asked of him. 

For the first time in a long time, things were starting to settle into place. The streets of New York weren’t entirely safe, they never would be, but it was nothing compared to what they had faced before. 

As the years passed, they managed to collect most of the Triceraton technology but the threat to the city changed soon after. The Triceratons and Utroms returned to Earth, thrusting the human race into the rest of the universe and aliens of all kinds started to show up. 

By the time the Turtles were in their fifties, they were finally able to reveal themselves to the world and were accepted. 

Walking along the streets of New York was, at first, terrifying for them and went against everything they were taught. They were not the strangest looking creatures walking around so people paid very little attention to them, thought a few did ask for their autograph.

They continued to adapt and protect the city until age had them retiring. 

Bishop sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Raph slept. He knew that their time together was coming to an end and was worried when he went in for his latest, scheduled clone transfer that Raph wouldn’t last long enough for him to regain his memories. 

As soon as they came back, he rushed to the room where Raph was being kept and was relieved to see that he was still breathing. He had the small shell of his nameless brother wrapped in his arthritic hand. 

“What time is it?” Raph grumbled, coming out of his sleep. 

“Past noon,” Bishop answered. 

“Why’d you let me sleep so long?”

“You’re old,” Bishop quipped. “You need all the sleep you can get.”

“I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead.”

Bishop’s heart sank and he ran his fingers over Raph’s cheek, “Please don’t talk like that.”

Raph chuckled, “Aren’t you ready to trade me in for a new model? I’ll come back quicker this time.”

“Let me clone you,” Bishop pleaded. 

Raph shook his head, “You know I don’t want that. I promise. I’ll come back as a cute alien with a long life span.”

Bishop couldn’t help but laugh. “No matter what form you take, I will love you.”

Raph grabbed Bishop’s hand and kissed his fingers. “I’m gonna keep testing that,” he mumbled as he drifted back to sleep. 

…..

Bishop entered the room containing the refugees from a war torn planet. They called themselves Neutrinos. To him they looked and sounded like a group of punks from the nineteen eighties. 

During the interview, to grant them asylum, one of them caught his eye. The way he spoke and the way he carried himself, reminded Bishop of someone special. He asked the young Neutrino a series of question to test his theory and was pleased with the results. 

He allowed himself a slight smile. At least Raph was true to his word.


End file.
